New acquaintances
by Nellasbokplanet
Summary: The turtles and April thought their lives were tricky enough with both the Shredder and the Kraang hunting them, but then a new enemy enters the picture and makes everything that much worse. Suddenly they have a government agent with a shady past on their heels, and he isn't the only newcomer in their lives lately. No OC's, just old characters brought back to life.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I never actually meant to write this. I've only ever written one single fanfiction before, so I'm not quite used to this. But as I started reading all these really amazing works, I couldn't help but get som ideas, and they sort of turned into this. I brought back some old characters that I think you will recognise, but I changed their back stories around so they'd fit into the story. It's set in the 2012 tmnt-verse, taking place directly after Pulverizer Returns.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: New acquaintances**

April feels as if she is suffocating.

She likes the turtles, she really does, but living with them? It is just too much. Mikey's constant practical jokes, Raph's temper, Donnie's way of following her around like a lost puppy. She is even growing tired of Leo's infernal Space Heroes, and she used to _like_ that show.

Not that it is really their fault. She knows what is making her feel like this, as if she has a lifetime of troubles resting on her shoulders and the slightest disturbance could bring it all crashing down on her. Her father is gone, and it is all because of her. The evil alien beings who took him away weren't really after him, and she can't quite shake the feeling that if it wasn't for her they might not even have come to this dimension to begin with. And now she can't even be out there looking for him, because that infuriating Foot Clan have decided that they are hunters, and she is prey.

She shudders at the thought of Karai, cold eyes gleaming at her behind red make-up. There was no way she'd be lucky enough to defeat the skilled kunoichi a second time; she can still hardly move after their first battle. Bruises cover half of her body, she has a black eye and, most importantly, she is terrified. If she runs into Karai again, it'll be game over.

So she's stuck down in the lair, and it's driving her nuts. She left a note to her aunt telling her not to worry, but the poor woman must be horrified by her niece's sudden disappearance. Her friends will think she abandoned them, and by the time she gets back she'll be so far behind in school that she will have to study day and night to catch back up.

All of this would make anyone a bit jumpy, so April had distracted herself by trying to dig out the Kraang using the Internet. She hadn't had much luck, but she was happy as long as she had something to keep her mind of things, and at least this way she was doing some good instead of just sitting around eating pizza, like certain others.

And then she actually found something. It wasn't much, just a forum full of paranoid people talking about strange events taking place in the city. Before she met the turtles she would have laughed at the thought of searching for information at a site like that; today she finds herself more and more believing all the theories being mentioned there.

Although she was curious of most of the threads, there was only one that really caught her attention: someone had spotted weird people down at the docks several nights in row, storing loads of strange boxes in on of the warehouses. That alone wouldn't have been enough for her to point it out to the boys, but the writer also mentioned something about the men carrying weapons that 'looked like sci-fi guns' and spoke 'as if they were really slow-witted.' She smirks at the words, at once sure that this just has to be the Kraang. She has no idea what they are up to down at the docks, but it sure can't be good.

"Guys!" she calls, whipping her head back and forth in her search for them. Where are they? One second they were all there, crowding her and stealing away her focus, and then when she needs them they are all mysteriously gone. Hadn't Leo been sitting one the floor, only few feet away from her and eyes glued to the TV, just a few minutes ago? And she could swear that Mikey had been reading comic books in the tyre swing last time she checked. How come she hadn't noticed them leaving? _Bloody ninjas._ Sighing and muttering to herself she heaves herself out of the sofa, laptop still in hand. "Guys! This is important; I really need to show you something!"

They aren't there. After searching the entire lair, briefly catching a glimpse of Splinter meditating in the dojo and not wanting to disturb him, she has to admit that she somehow missed them going out on patrol. Is it really late enough for them to be out? She must have been more caught up in her work than she realised. Oh well, if she wants them to check out the docks they need to be out anyway. She picks up her T-phone and punches in Donnie's number.

* * *

Angel can't believe this. She is actually _in the Foot Clan_. The mere thought of it is making her giddy, wanting to wave her arms in the air and whoop at her success. Technically, she's not even an official Purple Dragon yet, missing the telltale tattoo that all the members are sporting, but that didn't seem to matter when that creepy mutant guy came looking for recruits.

It's not like she wasn't aware of the fact that the Dragons took orders from some guy named Shredder, and she had herd rumours about vicious mutant creatures, but she was still shocked when the enormous doglike _thing_ walked into the room where she and some other Dragons were hanging out. She had always thought that you had to be some kind of master at martial arts to join the Foot, but apparently that wasn't the case any more. The mutant had coldly stated that they needed more ninjas and brought in some of the Foot to test out Angel's and her friends' skills in combat.

Angel does know the how to defend herself. Heck, she was only fifteen and already a Purple Dragon to be! There was no way she was going to let a chance like that slip through her fingers. But she had never before fought a _ninja_, and she sure did get pretty bruised up during the short struggle. She could proudly state that she had managed to take two or three of them down, but the battle had ended with her pinned to the floor, arms wrenched behind her back in a painful position and sputtering out the most colourful that words she could muster. The mutant didn't seem too happy about the situation, but he had given her an approving nod with his huge, furry head.

"I suppose this is the most I could expect from someone with no training," he said, leaving Angel puzzled in whether she should be offended or proud of his words. Her confusion was shattered, though, when he handed her the telltale uniform that all members of the Foot wear. Only one of the other Dragons that were tested along with her was deemed worthy, and tonight was their first mission.

And this was _so not_ what she had expected. She had imagined them breaking into some houses or a store, maybe threatening some people or chasing of intruders from their area. What she had not been prepared to was to face giant, green, mutant turtles.

And she certainly hadn't expected them to completely wipe the floor with her and the rest of the Foot.

* * *

The poor Foot ninja never stood a chance. Leo pokes one of them with his toe, watching the black-clad human moan in response.

"Well," he says, "they sure aren't getting any better."

"You think?" Raph smirks, wrenching the weapon from a fallen ninja's hand and gladly tossing it over the edge of the building. "If they don't start practising soon we'll have to rely on the Kraang if we want any kind of a challenge." He glares at people scattered across the roof, willing them to get back up end fight.

"Maybe we could train them!" Mikey calls cheerfully, showing off some kicks and punches. "We are the best ninja around; we could _so_ get them into shape!"

Raph leaves the fallen fighters, stomps over to Mikey and smacks him upside the head with a grim expression. "Are you stupid somehow?" he growls, scowling at Mikey's wide-eyed face.

"What?" the younger turtle exclaims. "At least that would make them somewhat of a challenge!"

"Not if you train them," says Raph, sneering evilly. "They'd all end up like Pulverizer."

"Hey, Don was the one who trained him!"

Their bickering is abruptly cut off by the sound of a cheerful ringtone.

"You really should turn off the sound on that thing when were on patrol", Leo says, looking at his second youngest brother grimly. Don, on the other hand, isn't aware of the annoyed glares he's receiving.

"It's April!" he exclaims, causing the other three to roll their eyes as he quickly puts the T-phone to his ear. "Hi April! We just totally crushed the Foot, you…"

"That's great." Her voice sounds a tad distracted on the other side of the line as she interrupts him. "But I've found something about the Kraang, you think you could check it out?"

Don grins widely. "Of course April! Anything for you!" He stops talking, his eyes growing wide. "I mean, we'd of course check it out even if we received the information another way, seeing how important it is that the Kraang is stopped, but now…"

"It's down at the docks," she says, hardly even aware of his blabbering.

With her information handed over April is quick to finish the conversation, clearly not in the mood to small talk. Donnie hangs up with a disappointed look on his face. Raph raises an eye-ridge at him.

"Smooth."

* * *

_Earlier that day_

"Have you heard that Tim ran away?"

"Timothy? That weird guy who kept going on about how he was best friends with a bunch of superheroes?"

"Yeah, him. He's just vanished. Just like that O'Neil kid a few days back."

"Didn't her dad, like, abandon her?"

"I heard he was kidnapped."

Mona does her best to block out the sound of the other girls gossiping, flipping pages in her physics book, pretending the subject doesn't interest her. The news about Timothy's mysterious disappearance is bubbling all over school, and, frankly, she is quite curious of what has happened to him, just like she'd love to find out whatever became of April O'Neil. But the other girls' words certainly aren't reliable intel, and besides, she doesn't like the way their faces sparkle when they bring up the subject of other's suffering.

"I'm not surprised he ran away," says one of the girls, dividing her attention between her friends and her cell phone. "He's, like, totally crazy. And ugly. I mean, if _I_ were that weird, I certainly wouldn't want people to see me." She giggles, the rest of the girls quickly adding to the laughter. Mona leans closer to her book, resisting the urge to start humming to drown out the noise they're making.

"Oh, look."

The giggling comes to such an abrupt end that Mona can't help but look up to see what caught the girls' attention. She regrets it instantly, though. Some guys are headed in their direction, trying to look nonchalant but clearly with their eyes set on Mona and the others sitting on the bench. The giggling starts up again and she directs her attention back to the book.

She can't seem to focus, though. The conversation has shifted from the mysteriously missing kids to some kind of party taking place tonight down at the docks.

"I've got the most amazing dress," one of the girls, Irma, states. "It's blue with these gorgeous white pearls and…"

"Hey geek, are you going to be there?"

It takes Mona a second to notice that the conversation has quieted down around her. She looks up, immediately noticing how Adam, the tallest of the boys, has his eyes glued on her, sneering at the sight of her book. Her brain spins as it tries to catch up with what he said. _If I'm going to be there?_ She furrows her brows; now that's just a mean thing to ask, and she can see on his face that he is very aware of it.

Mona is never invited to parties. It's not that people are purposefully avoiding to invite her to be mean, they just forget about her, or assume that she won't want to come anyways. She tries to not feel hurt about it, knowing that it is partly true: she _isn't_ very interested in parties. To much people, to much noise, and not really anything to do other than jump up and down on the dance floor or drink. But it would still be nice if people asked her every once in a while.

As long as they don't ask like this. Adam's eyes are glinting; gleefully awaiting her embarrassing confession that she isn't wanted.

"Of course she is coming!" Mona nearly falls of the bench when Irma suddenly clings to her, holding her arm in a tight grip. "The more the merrier, right?"

Mona is wondering what in the world her friend is up to, when she notices her eyes being drawn to a guy in the back of the group. Tall, long, dark hair, a bit more muscles than the others, and rather absent looking. Casey. Of course, that's what it's about. Mona has seen him get thrown into some kind of ferocious rage at the sight of bullying, quite often actually defending the victims that his friends are harassing. Right now he's looking rather absent, though. She notices a faint bruise on his cheek, and can't help but wonder how he got it. Irma's eyes are glinting as she watches him, awaiting his response at her 'brave act'.

"Yeah," Adam says slowly, "the more the merrier." He glares at Mona, making her feel even more uncomfortable.

The conversation starts up again without Casey acknowledging the disappointed Irma's hard efforts to catch his attention. When he, a couple of minutes later, states that he's not even going to be at the party Mona barely manages to stifle her laugh. But she can't help but to smirk to herself as she frees her arm and buries herself in the fascinating laws of physics once again.

* * *

They are halfway to the location April gave them when the sound of shattering glass causes them to stop in their tracks.

"What was that?" Mikey immediately edges closer to the sound to peek down at the street, but Leo grabs hold of his shoulder and pulls him back.

"Be careful, it could be…"

"It's just some punks trying to steal a car." Leo's head snaps around and he stares at Raph, who have marched over to the edge and is now leaning over it, searching for the cause of the ruckus. He catches the look on his older brother's face and huffs indignantly. "What? They're not even Purple Dragons; we could take them with our hands tied to our backs."

"That's not the point," Leo says. "It could have been Fishface, or Dogpond, or even Shredder." He stares at Raph, hoping that he will get the message, but is soon disappointed.

"But it wasn't," the red-masked turtle states. "Now let's get them before they take the car and leave."

"I think someone just beat us to it," Donnie suddenly says, leaning far over the edge, eyes glued to the site of the crime. "There's some guy down there who looks kind of menacing and he is sort of pounding them into the ground."

"Really?" Mikey practically bounces up and down. "I bet it's a superhero! Wouldn't it be totally awesome if it was a superhero?"

"Mikey, there is no such thing as superheroes," Leo says tiredly while the other three checks out the scene below.

"Wow," Raph says, sounding impressed, "that guy is _good._"

"Yeah, the dude is totally wiping the floor with them!" Mikey sounds a bit too happy about the demise of others, car thieves or not.

"Ehm, guys, I think he is a tad crazy," Donnie says, finally making Leo curious enough to walk over to them and peek over the edge.

The human down at street level actually does seem rather skilled, Leo must admit that. His face is covered by some kind of white mask and he's swinging something that resembles a hockey stick, effectively swiping the thugs' feet out from under them. He's clearly no ninja, though, only using brute force and determination to take out the wannabe-thieves. One of them falls on his hands and knees, desperately trying to scramble out of the way. But the masked man won't have that, sending the fleeing thief face first into the ground with a powerful whack to the head with his stick. It's when he once again raises his weapon, clearly aiming for the now motionless body on the ground, that Leo realises that Donnie was right about the crazy-thing.

"Okay, he's gone over the edge," Raph hisses, "let's get him."

Before Leo has a chance to stop them or make up some kind of plan, the other three have already swung over the edge and dashed down toward the fight.

"Hey!" he calls out, quickly scrambling after them. "Wait up! And be careful!"

"Oh please fearless, it's one guy," Raph grumbles as he lands one the ground with an almost soundless thump. "I think we can handle him."

The vigilante jumps back at the sight of them spreading out in a half moon shape in front of him, weapons drawn and faces set in determination. Except for Mikey. He just looks at the guy in obvious glee.

"Raph has a point," Donnie adds, eyeing the human, "there's four of us and only one of him, what's he go—mph!" The red-masked turtle effectively silences his younger brother by clasping a three fingered hand over his mouth.

"_Don't _say it," he warns the wide-eyed Donatello. "Just don't."

"What in the world are you supposed to be?"

They swiftly shift their attention back to the hockey stick wielding human, who seems to have come over the initial chock of seeing four mutant turtles. His eyes narrow behind the mask, which, at a closer inspection, turns out to be a common hockey mask. _Well_, Leo thinks, _at least it matches his weapon._ He points one of his katana toward the troublemaker and tries to set his face in a determined and heroic expression.

"We are the protectors of this city, and we are here to hinder you from…"

"Oh just shut your mouth," Raph grumbles, taking a step closer to their unpredictable opponent. Leo feels an immediate urge to pull him back, but fights it. _Please don't do anything rash, please please please._ "We're ninjas and we'll stop you from being an idiot and killing these people." He motions with his sai toward the unconscious people on the ground. Leo moans and hides his face behind his hands.

"Listen, I don't have any problems with you freaks, so just get out of my way and let me finish what I started." He sounds so young. Leo's guess is that he is one, maybe two years older than April. What have he been through to push him over the edge and take his rage out at people like this? The oldest turtle doesn't like where this is leading, and he certainly doesn't want to beat up a fellow crime-fighter, but if the guy keeps this up they won't have a choice. Maybe he can reason with him. They are on the same side, after all.

"We can't let you do that," he says calmly. "They've had enough, so just back off and leave them alone, okay?" He looks at the guy hopefully, trying to appear friendly. The human doesn't oblige.

"You're defending them?" he hisses, and Leo realises that this is not going the way he wanted. "They are lowlife scum, pestering the lives of others, and you _defend_ them?" He looks as if he might attack them with his hockey stick any second now, almost shaking with fury.

"You want to kill them over a _car_?" Donnie says, sounding shocked. "That's completely unreasonable! They might be criminals, but…" He is cut short when the vigilante tires of their conversation and rushes forward, swinging his hockey stick over his head as if it is a mighty sword.

Leo's brothers quickly jump out of the way, causing the human to stumble when he loses his target. Leo immediately brings one of his katana down, cutting the poor guys stick in half. He staggers back, staring at his make-shift weapon with a stunned expression and trembling hands. Leo almost feels sorry for him.

But the feeling is swiftly disintegrated when their opponent reaches back and pulls two metal bats from a golf bag on his back. Leo stares at him, is a bit embarrassed over the fact that he didn't notice the weapon filled bag earlier. With a vicious roar and swinging bats the human attacks once again. Leo easily ducks the assault, goes low and punches the boy with the handle of his katana straight in the stomach. Gasping for air he attempts to swing his bat at Leos head, but he is out of breath and not aiming to well. The leader turtle sidesteps, and when Raphael rushes in and hits the human with a powerful kick in the back he falls over and hits the ground face first.

The four turtles stop, relax their grip on their weapons and gaze down at the fallen human. Raph snorts.

"Care for another round, kid?"

Before any of them have the chance to react he swipes out the legs of Donnie using one of his bats, stumbles up and rushes past them. Donnie shrieks as he lands hard on his shell, limbs flailing and bo staff flying through the air.

"Hey, get back here!" Raph hollers, dashing after the fleeing human. His angry voice is drowned by the sudden roar of a motorcycle engine. The red clad turtle is forced to jump back not to be run over. "Come back and fight like a man!" he calls, shaking with rage.

"No use," Leo says, giving his fallen younger brother a hand. "He's gone."

Donnie gets up on wobbly legs. "I told you he was crazy." His voice is a bit shrill as he picks up his bo and sheets it.

"I don't care," Raph growls. "I'm going to _kill_ him."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Leo says, sheeting his katana and giving Raph a stern look. "We're on a mission. April is relying on us."

Raph's eyes shifts between his brothers and the street, clearly unsure of what he's going to do.

"Dude," Mikey says, "we can't let April down. Can you imagine what she'd do to us?" His eyes are big and terrified.

"She'd probably hit you with a comic book, Raph" Leo smirks. "And let me tell you; that hurt more than you might think."

"Yeah, comic book aren't meant to be in ones face," Mikey states solemnly. "It just isn't right."

"Fine," Raph cries. "Let's just forget about the insane, murderous human running rampage in the city. Who cares if he goes killing every pickpocket in town? Oh, not we, because we're on a bloody _mission_." He glares at Leo, hands clenched into tight fists.

"We'll keep an eye out for him," Leo says coldly, doing his best to keep his composure. "We won't have a chance to catch up with him now anyway."

"Whatever," Raph grumbles, crossing his arms over his plastron. "But tomorrow I'm bringing the stealth bike." Something cruel crosses his face. "There's no way he can get away then."

* * *

She knew this was a bad idea.

The music inside the house was so loud that it made her head throb, her feet hurts from her high heels and she keeps having to stop herself from touching her face, knowing that it would cause her make-up to be smeared all over her cheeks and chin.

Now, sitting on the docks with her feet dangling above the water and the shoes placed beside her on the dock, she can't help but wonder what she is doing here. She hadn't really expected Irma to be serious about her offer, but the friend had dragged Mona along to her place, fixed her hair, lent her a fluffy pink dress and added so much make-up to her face that Mona barely recognised herself in the mirror. Amongst the other girl's excitement Mona had found herself actually looking forward to the night, even though she had butterflies in her stomach and almost broke her ankle when she first attempted to walk in the heels.

_It might be fun_, she said to herself, _everyone else seems to think it is, so it can't be that bad._

Turns out, it _could_ be that bad. She is bored out of her mind.

The sound of giggling and stumbling steps snaps her out of her thoughts. She cranes her neck, squinting into the dark until she catches sight of two girls and a boy headed towards the docks. They don't seem to have noticed her, and, preferring to keep it that way, she leans forward, trying to look as small as possible.

It doesn't work.

"Hey!" the boy, whom she now recognises as Adam, cries. "Geek girl! Want to come on a boat ride?" His voice is slurring considerably and he waves a bottle towards her while speaking. Mona has got a feeling he isn't quite aware of what he's saying and who he's talking to. That mean sneer is still plastered across his face, though, and she doesn't feel like looking at it any closer.

"No, I'm fine," she says meekly. "Have fun you three." _Try not to fall overboard and drown._ She snorts, happy he can't hear her thoughts.

"Aw, but it's more fun if there's more of us," one of the girls says, pouting her lips. Mona doesn't even know her name.

"Yeah!" the other girl, Emily, calls, taking a step towards Mona and nearly topples over. She shrieks, but manages to catch herself and explodes in a fit of giggles.

_Wow,_ Mona thinks, _how much did they drink?_

She really doesn't feel like being stuck on the water with those three, but when they stumble towards a tiny motorboat right next to her she can't help but worry about them. They might actually fall overboard and drown, no matter how absurd it may sound. And then she would be the one who let them die. _This is so not fair_, she grumbles to herself as she pulls Irma's shoes back on and get on her feet. Emily sees her and smiles brightly.

"Get in!" she cries, waving enthusiastically with her arms, nearly pushing her friend over the edge in the process.

They zoom across the water, Mona enjoying the wind in her face and the fact that the sound of the motor is so loud that conversation isn't possible. Then the boat suddenly brakes and she has to grab hold of the nameless girls arm to keep her from falling into the dark water.

"Look at that," Adam says, sounding almost sober all of a sudden. "What are they up to over there?"

Mona leans forward, just managing to make out the silhouettes of some men carrying boxes into a warehouse. She shrugs, not really very interested, but Emily squeals in delight.

"Is that a submarine? I bet it's a submarine!" She claps her hands and bounces up and down where she sits.

Mona looks again, raising her eyebrows when she notices the dark shape in the water. It actually _does_ resemble a submarine, with a periscope and everything.

"We should check it out," nameless girl says, leaning heavily on Adams shoulder. "Maybe they're smuggling weapons or something. We could be heroes!"

Mona feels like banging her head against the side of the boat. _Smuggling weapons?_ What do they think this is, an episode of CSI?

But she has to admit, the submarine sure is suspicious.

"Nah, they'd hear us," Adam says, making Mona sigh of relief. That is, before he turns his attention to her. "We can just drop you off a bit further down. You could easily sneak closer and se what they're doing."

She stares at him, not sure whether he's serious or just wants to get rid of her. People sure act funny when they're drunk.

"Fine," she grumbles, not wanting to argue about it. "Drop me off and I'll check it out."

They leave the submarine and the men with their boxes behind and head toward a far corner of the dock. Mona climbs out of the boat, doing her best trying to look graceful, but shrieks and stumbles back when a small, green lizard scurries straight over her feet, almost sending her flailing into the water. With a face growing red and the other's giggles ringing in her ears she heads towards the warehouse.

It's dark, as in really, _really_ dark. She can barely see the building. And her feet hurt. _This is such a waste of time._ She stops, glances back and then quickly slips her shoes off, wriggling her now free toes up and down. Shoes in hand she sneaks up close to a wall and trips forward on her toes. It's not like she's actually expecting those people to be weapon smuggling criminals, but she would prefer if they never see her. That would just be plain embarrassing.

By the time she's close enough to see the warehouse clearly the boat with the other teenagers is out of sight. She's not even sure if they'll wait for her. It wouldn't surprise her if they've already forgotten what they are doing there and decided to go back to the party. _Lucky me_, she thinks_, I'll have to walk all the way back on my sore feet._

"Kraang, the one known as Captain Filch has now handed over the goods known as the weapons parts. Where shall Kraang put it?"

She stops in her track, backing further into the shadows of the building and watches the silhouettes of two men standing in front of the warehouse. Did he really mention weapons parts? She's not sure; the man's odd way of speaking sort of distracted her from what he was saying.

"Kraang shall put the goods known as weapons parts in the place known as the warehouse. Meanwhile Kraang will go to the one known as Captain Filch and pay him for the goods known as weapons parts."

Okay, this was getting annoying. Why did both refer to themselves as Kraang in third person? And what's with the repeating of everything they say over and over again? As if their clumsy sentences weren't enough, they also speak with metallic, monotone voices, almost like computers. Mona doubted she'd be able to muster the patience to listen to them for much longer.

One of them starts walking back to water with long, stiff strides. He's carrying a heavy-looking, gleaming cylinder in his hands. Mona leans forward, curious of what's inside of it and why it's emitting some kind of spooky, green light. A third man is standing on the edge of the dock, arms crossed and one foot tapping irritably against the ground.

"About time," he grumbles. "Have you got the mutagen?"

_Finally_, Mona thinks,_ someone who knows how to speak proper English._ The first man lifts the glowing container, spreading green, quivering shadows all over the dock. Mona, not wanting to be discovered, quickly takes a step back. Embarrassing as it may be she has to admit that the nameless girl in the boat must have been right in her amateurish guess; they actually seem to be smuggling weapons. They probably wouldn't be very happy regarding her presence.

"Kraang has here the payment known as the mutagen," the first man states metallically. "The one known as Captain Filch will accept the payment known as mutagen for the goods known as…"

"Yeah yeah, I know what I'm here for," the man, obviously named Captain Filch, growls. "Just hand it over already." He snatches the container from the other man's hands, eyeing it greedily. "Finally; this stuff will revolutionize my research." The frustration in once gone from his voice, he stares at the glowing substance with obvious awe.

"Put that down, or I'll personally pry it out of you cold, dead hands."

Mona freezes in her place when she hears a menacing voice calling out from directly above her. She backs up, standing with her back pressed against the wall, and squints up at the roof. The darkness that is still keeping her hidden from the people by the water is now working against her; all she can make out is the fuzzy silhouette of one person. No, wait a second. She strains her eyes even harder and realizes that there are four of them. _How did they even get up there?_ she questions in wonder.

"The ones known as the turtles will not interfere with the action known as the plan of the Kraang."

This language barrier is driving her crazy. There's no way he actually said _turtles_, she must have misheard his stupid words.

"Oh, but the ones known as turtles will _crush_ the action known as the plan of…"

"Leo, please, let's just bash them up," the same voice that first threatened Filch and Kraang complains.

"Well excuse me for trying to be heroic and…"

The second one is cut short when the Kraang down at the water pulls something from his belt and starts firing at them. He's actually _firing_ at them. The seriousness of the situation hits Mona all at once and she crouches down on the ground, covering her head with her arms. Someone could be killed! She might be the witness to a murder! Oh please don't let anybody see her…

"Booyakasha!"

She flinches as on of the figures from the roof come crashing to the ground only a few feet in front of her, spinning some sort of chains in its hands. Her eyes grow wide as she peeks between her fingers. There's no way he should have been able to stick the landing like that, not from such a height. She knows her physics; both his legs should have broken, or at least been sprained. He dashes away before she has a chance of taking a closer look, avoiding the blasts erupting from the Kraang's weapon.

Hold up, was that a _laser gun?_ One of the pinkish flares zooms into the wall right next to her, sending a spray of dust into her face. Yep, definitely laser.

The rest of the people from the roof have landed too, all of them spinning and twirling and flipping as they dance out of the way of the fire. It's too dark for her to see them clearly, but it's obvious that they aren't cops. Has she managed to stumble into some kind of gang war?

A ray of laser suddenly burns into the ground a mere inch from her feet, melting the cement and sending a tiny cloud of smoke into the air. She screams reflexively, flinging herself up and scrambling away from the heat.

"The human known as witness, do the action known as _freeze_."

She stops, standing on one leg and arms stretched above her head, immediately knowing that she has been seen. She glances up, terror creeping across her mind. Not just seen, on of the weird men is also aiming his laser gun straight at her head.

"The ones known as turtles, _stop_, or Kraang will destroy the human known as the witness."

The four fighting figures have stopped, clenching their weapons and whipping their heads around nervously. She can tell that this was not part of their plan.

"Donnie, any ideas?" the one furthest from her asks.

"Well, the distance between us and her is short enough for us to get there in a second or so, but the lasers travel with over…"

"_Donnie!_"

"There's no way any of us will get there in time," the second one says, sounding hurt.

"Oh shell."

Mona stares at the man aiming his gun at her. He's angled toward the attackers, not even looking at her. That, for some reason, feels really insulting. She used to take lessons in self defence a year or so back, and if they taught her one thing then it was to fight back as long as she could move. If she allows them to kidnap her, or take out the four fighters, she'll be as good as dead.

Moving as fast as she can she dashes out of the way, headed to the water. The Kraang immediately shifts his attention back to her, firing his pinkish laser but thankfully missing her by several feet. That doesn't help to obliterate her fear, though, and she covers her head with her arms and screams as high as she can as she runs.

The four intruders are quick to action, one of them throwing himself over the Kraang aiming at her, impaling his head with some kind of sharp stick-like object. Sparks fly through the air and the man wobbles, slowly crashing to ground. The realisation hits her like a sledgehammer; a human was just killed in front of her.

The shock alone is enough to make her stop, just standing there staring at the cringing body. The attacker brings his weapon out of the man's head with a powerful pull, lifting the body and then letting it fall back down with a thud. She's still standing there, gazing at death itself, when he looks up and locks eyes with her.

And that's when she realizes that she never misheard the Kraangs' word. They really did say turtles.

Someone stumbles into her from the side, effectively waking her from her shock.

"I'm not giving it up!" Captain Filch wails. "Over my dead body!"

"That could be arranged." The creature standing over the now still body spins its weapons around and sneers with gleaming, green eyes. It has a shell, rough green skin and big feet covered and hands covered by protective tape. A red mask is bound across its face, making it look even more bloodthirsty.

She whips her head around, searching for the other three and getting her mouth filled with hair in the process. Coughing and sputtering she finally finds the them. One, to far away for her to tell if he too is a inhuman monster, is fighting the last Kraang, while the other two are closing in on her and Filch from two different directions, successfully blocking him off from both his submarine and possible escape by land. They are both definitely turtles, one sporting a blue mask, the other one a purple, both wielding vicious-looking weapons.

"Don't worry, miss," the one in blue calls. "We'll fix this." She stares at him, dumbfounded.

She's so busy gaping at them that she barely notices Filch covering behind her, using her as a human shield. First when he clamps a hand over her shoulder, pulling her back with him, does she acknowledge him, rage flaring through her body.

_Don't touch me, you creep._

She screams in anger as she twirls around, pushing him away from her. He stumbles back, to surprised to keep on his feet. Limbs flailing, he falls on his back, the glowing cylinder flying from his hands. The world seems to slow down as the container spins through the air, bathing Mona and the others in eerily green light. She can hear the turtles gasp, and Filch scrambles to get back on his feet and catch it before it's too late.

But it's no use. The cylinder smashes into the cement only inches from Filch's reaching, gloved fingers. Glass shatters, the green light spreads and Mona feels something cold hit her bare shoulders, legs and face. Filch recoils as the contents splatter out of the now broken container. Some of it got on his covered hands and arms, but his skin seems to have been spared. The cold quickly subsiding, replaced by a burning sensation, tells Mona that she wasn't as lucky.

The green, gooey liquid is dripping off of her, splattering on the cold ground and shaping puddles around her bare feet.

"Oh," the turtle in purple says, "this is not good."

_You might say that_. Mona's skin is really starting to hurt by now, feeling almost as if its bubbling and shifting under the strange substance. _It must be acid_, Mona thinks, dizzy from the pain. How do you get rid of acid before it burns you very flesh from your bones?

Of course. An obvious solution hits her reeling head. You wash it off.

She stumbles the last few steps left to the water, longing for the cold liquid to wash away the pain.

"Wait, stop!"

She freezes without thinking, craning her head back and catching sight of the purple clad turtle, sporting a long wooden stick as his weapon. He's walking carefully toward her, holding his hands up as to not look like the threatening, giant mutant he is.

"You've been exposed to mutagen," he says cautiously. "I am really sorry to tell you this, but your body is not going to react well to this." She stares at him, flesh still burning as if set on fire. He stopped her to tell her that? She can bloody _feel_ that her body isn't responding well to it. Not honouring him with another look she turns back to the water.

"For crying out loud, Donnie, you were supposed to stop her!"

Just as she's about to leap into the air something grabs hold of her upper arm, the one not covered in acid, and yanks her back.

"We have enough mutants running wild in the city as it is, you're not going anywhere."

The creature roughly turns her around and she finds herself staring into the green eyes of the red-masked turtle. _They are trying to kill_ me, she suddenly understands. _I'm going to die a horrible, painful death due to exposure to acid when I'm only inches away from saving myself_. She's not about to let that happen.

The screeching sound of braking tyres shatters her concentration just as she flexes her muscles to punch at the hideous face of the mutant monster. It flinches at the sound, suddenly letting her go and pulling its strange, pointy weapons. Mona can't help but being taken aback, dazzled by the turn of events. A black van has driven straight into the scene, and as the doors open men rush out to join the fight.

Not men, she realizes as she turns around and dives headfirst into the chilly water. Robots. Robots armed with laser guns.

She blames the impossible sight on her confused brain as the water washes the pain away.

* * *

Angel's entire body hurts. Her legs are wobbling, her head is throbbing, and her arms are covered in cuts and bruises. Her first night with the Foot and it ended in utter disaster. The entire team was pulverised, beaten into the ground, _crushed_. She grumbles as she walks home, limping with every step and only able to see with one eye thanks to her swollen face. Even though she tries to push the heavy thoughts away, she can't help but wonder if they'll ever want her a part of the Foot Clan again.

A low moan causes her to stop, senses immediately searching for the source, hands clenched into fists. But nothing happens. No one jumps out to attack her, no one is even there. Just as she starts to relax, the moan is heard again, this time accompanied with the sound of heavy feet shuffling across the pavement. Slowly edging forward and pulling her mask back over her face, Angel peeks into the closest alley. Her right hand snakes into the pocket of her Foot uniform, curling around the handle of a knife. A limp shape is leaning against the wall, to cast in shadow for her to see it clearly.

"Hey!" she calls. "You there!"

A long, snakelike object lashes through the air and Angel jumps back in surprise. Was that a _tail_?

"Who's there?" a girly, quivering voice whispers. Angel frowns. She can swear she's heard that voice before somewhere.

"I'm a Purple Dragon," she says, puffing her chest out trying to look intimidating. "And you're in _my_ territory."

"Look, I don't want no trouble, okay? I'd leave, but I'm afraid I'm not feeling to well."

Angel furrows her brows, annoyed that the strange girl doesn't seem scared at all. She just sounds tired, as if she hasn't slept for the past two weeks. Angel quickly decides that she does not like this girl's attitude.

"Listen," she says, "I don't care how you _feel_, just pay up or get out."

The only response is the soft, scraping sound as the girl slides down the wall and sits down, utterly exhausted.

"Hey!" Angel exclaims, stomping closer to her. "Are you deaf? I said…"

Her voice shrinks away as she catches a closer look of the figure on the ground. She is wearing a pink dress, covered in muddy, dark splotches and drenched in water. Her hair is a chestnut brown and falling over her face in a tasselled mess. None of this is what catches Angel's attention; she has seen worse, heck, she probably _looks_ worse right now.

No, what causes her to stare with eyes wide as saucers is the girl's feet, barefoot and sticking out in front of her. They're green, and sporting only three toes. As she follows the legs with her eyes, Angels jaw drops. The girl's entire body seems to be a clear, moss green colour, and what appears to be a thick tail is wrapped around her left leg. She has only got a small bump for a nose and a face covered in scales.

She looks like a lizard.

Angel leans forward, squinting at the girl's face, and the recoils as she realizes that there is something eerily familiar over it.

"Mona Lisa?" she whispers.

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked it! I think i should mention that english isn't my first language (that's swedish) so if I've managed to mess up some of the words or grammar i sincerely apologise.**


	2. Chapter 2: New friends, new enemies

**AN: Aw, thanks for the reviews! It makes me so happy to see that people like my work! *dances happily around my room***

**This story is starting to take over my life. I have stayed up for way too long to nights in a row, and then finished up the last of the chapter in school. Guess during which class? Swedish. Hope my teacher didn't notice me writing in the wrong language...**

**Anyways, back to the story. Our sunglass loving villain makes his entrance, Mona tries to join the Purple Dragon and Angel apparently likes diamond. Hope you like it!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: New friends, new enemies**

The man standing on the roof resembles a statue, still and with a face drained of all emotion. New York City is laid out before him, glinting and glimmering in the light of dawn. His eyes are hidden behind dark sunglasses, his hands clasped behind his back and the long, black coat is flipping in the wind. Two heavily armed soldiers are flanking him, both looking stern and very dangerous.

"Sir," one of them says, a woman hidden under a bulletproof west and night-vision goggles. "What action should we take?"

The man glances at her, causing her to clench her hands around her weapon. "According to my sources the creatures don't come out until night, so there's no point in looking for them now. I want you to start placing out surveillance cameras, traps and everything else you can think of." His face isn't emotionless any longer; instead the thin lips twist into a hate filled-grimace. "I want every nook and cranny of this city in the palm of my hand, so that when those freaks of nature come crawling out of their hiding places I will be right on their track. Is that understood?"

Both the soldiers nod, salute and call out "Yes sir!" before they quickly slip off the roof, relieved to get away from the intimidating man. With them out of his sight he turns back to the periphery of the building, gazing over the city. Nothing strange is seen, no creatures are edging along the streets in the weak morning light. But he knows better than to let the seemingly calm surface trick him. He has seen the pictures and films from numerous cameras all over the city, many of them showing off nightmarish creatures that come crawling out in the dark. His face contorts in anger at the thought; how dare these things intrude in the civilized world?

But it is no matter, really. He had cleansed the world of monsters before, and doing it again wouldn't be a problem.

Bishop crosses his arms and leaves the roof.

* * *

Raph doesn't like this. First that crazy guy wearing a hockey mask, then that girl getting involved in their fight with the Kraang. And both of them got away. Well, at least he got to crush some Kraang.

He wonders what happened to the girl. Last time he saw her she was covered in ooze, faze contorted in a look of immense pain. She must be mutated by now, probably taking her unhappiness out on the poor inhabitants of New York, just like Spider Bytez and Snakeweed. And Raph is so not okay with that. But it's daytime now, so he can't do anything about it. Sneering angrily he decided to take his frustration out on the practice dummy, attacking it with all his ferocity.

"Did you find anything last night?" April asks, lying on her back on the sofa with her legs propped up on the armrest. Her laptop is resting on her stomach, but she doesn't seem to be paying any attention to it.

"Actually, yes, we did." Donnie is sitting crossed-legged on the floor, a mess of tiny metal parts spread out in front of him. "The Kraang seemed to be buying weapons parts from some guy, paying him with mutagen of all things. But we stopped them." The second youngest turtle smiles proudly.

"But we still failed!" Raph exclaims, throwing an extra powerful punch to the head of the dummy, sending it rocking back and forth. "We lost the guy in the mask and another human got mutated!" He grinds his teeth angrily.

"Wait, did you say someone got mutated again?" April sits up, craning her head to be able to look at him. "Who? And how? And what did he turn into?"

"It was a her, actually," Donnie says, bringing April's attention back to him. "She got in the way as we fought the Kraang and managed to get ooze all over herself. We never saw her mutated form though; she dived into the water and swam away before we had a chance to stop her."

"She wouldn't have gotten away if you hadn't messed up," Raph growls, sending one finishing kick to the dummy's chest. Exhausted and covered in a coating sweat he collapses on the sofa a few feet from April. "Who knows what the shell she is up to now?"

"I messed up?" Donnie shrieks. "You were the one who were holding on to her! If you hadn't let her go we wouldn't be in this situation right know!"  
Raph glares at his younger brother. "I'm sorry, would you have preferred it if I had just stayed put, letting the Kraang fry us? No, didn't think so." He grumpily crosses his arms and stares at the TV in front of him.

"Would you two stop it!" Leo shouts. "We have bigger things to worry about than whose fault it was." Silence spreads through the lair, only broken by Donnie's tinkering with the weapons parts they brought from the warehouse.

"So," Mikey finally says. "I wonder what became of her." A grin spreads over his face. "Maybe she turned into a mutant dragon and went berserk on the Kraang, frying them with her super flaming breath!" He jumps out of the tire swing, mimicking the sound of the screeching Kraang and pointing his hands as if they were pistols.

"Mikey," Donnie says, not looking up from his work. "Why in the world would she turn into a dragon?"

"I don't know," Mikey says, shrugging. "You're the scientist; you tell me."

"Well, this is fun and everything, but I think I'll go do something other than wasting my time around here," Raph says, flinging himself out of the sofa and heading toward his room.

"And what's that supposed to be?" Donnie asks, once again deeply focused on his work. "Hitting someone?"

"If you don't watch it I'll hit you," Raph warns, taking a step toward the purple clad turtle and raising his fists. Donnie yelps, gathers the parts in his arms and flees to his lab in a matter of seconds.

"Raph," Leo says accusingly. "That was unnecessary."

The red masked turtle grumbles to himself as he leaves the room, not even giving the others a second look.

* * *

Getting Mona Lisa inside was the easy part. Angel lives with her mother and little brother on the first floor of an apartment complex, so they didn't have to risk running into anyone in the stairwell, and the darkness covered them as they crept into the building. Her brother was staying at a friend's place, as he always did on weekends, and her mother was decked out, like she always was on weekends, and most other days. No one noticed that an extra shadow followed Angel into the house, and no one noticed that Angel slept on the couch the entire night.

But now she has a giant, green, humanoid lizard sleeping like a rock on her bed, and she hasn't got an idea of what she's supposed to do with her.  
Angel isn't cruel. She couldn't just leave the poor girl out there, not in this condition. But she doesn't want her in here either.

_Mona Lisa_, Angel ponders, _what do I know about her_? Not much, barely anything really, other than that she is a year older, has a ridiculous name and appears to be some kind of uber-geek. She can't recall a single time when the two of them have had an actual conversation before. Girls like Mona Lisa simply aren't the crowd Angel prefers to hang out with. Too wimpy, to boring, to geeky.

But poor Mona certainly isn't her old self, and she is, if anything, at least not boring any longer. She probably still both wimpy and geeky, though.

Angel sits back in her chair, wondering what on earth she's supposed to do with her situation. Call for an ambulance? She glances toward the sleeping girl, catching sight of the long green tail and the two toed feet sticking out from under the covers. She shudders where she sits. Something makes her think that ordinary doctors won't be able to do much about a condition like this. And there's no way she'll just throw her back on the street. Outsiders watch each other's backs.

Mona Lisa suddenly stirs on the bed, making Angel nearly jump out of her skin. Then she calms down and leans forward, trying to catch a clear glimpse of the lizard girl's face.

"Hey?" she asks with a low voice. "Are you awake?"

Eyes flying open and limbs thrashing about, Mona recoils, sending herself headfirst into the wall. Angel stares at her as she moans and crawls back under the covers, hands clasped over the back of her head. Yeah, she's awake alright.

"Come on, you can't stay there all day. We got to figure this out somehow 'cause I'm not spending another night on the couch."

She gets up, stomps over to the bed and relentlessly grabs the covers, pulling them away. Mona Lisa moans again, curling into a big, green ball on the mattress. Angel withdraws when she realizes that the other girl isn't wearing any clothes, only sporting her scaly green skin. She swears and reflexively drops the covers, annoyed with herself that she didn't understand this. The darned dress is lying right there on the floor, and of course Mona didn't want to sleep in that soaked, muddy thing.

Angel hesitates, against her will fascinated by the sight. Mona Lisa isn't entirely green, she realizes. The girl's chest and stomach are yellow, as well as the underside of her tail. There's a darker shade of green running along her back, coming to an end just above her tailbone. It doesn't feel like as if she's looking at naked person, more as if it's a costume, or an animal. _No_, _not an animal_, she scolds herself. Mona is still human, somewhere under there.

"Hey," she says again, and carefully shakes the other girl's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible," she groans, curling up even tighter. "I've never been this tired in my life."

"Listen, Mona Lisa, I know –"

"Mona."

"What?"

"Please, just call me Mona." The girl's voice is muffled, her face buried in a pillow.

"Err, sure," Angel says hesitantly. "But Mona, do you have any plans of what to do? Can you go back home?"

Mona peeks up from the pillow, her brown eyes bloodshot and blurry. "No," she says. "No, I can never go home if I look like this." Finally fully awake from her slumber she rubs the sleepiness from her eyes and sits up on the bed.

"Why not? I mean, your parents should…"

"My parents are dead," Mona says, face suddenly stern. "I live with my grandparents, and the barely wanted my there when I was still human. If I walked into their house now they'd call an exterminator."

Angel is silent for a moment, not sure whether or not she dares to voice the question that has been nagging her the entire night. Oh, screw this. If she was going to help this girl the least she deserved was the truth.

"What happened to you?" She stares at Mona's face as she says it, refusing her eyes to falter. The lizard girl quickly looks away.

"I was down at the docks," she says, her voice so low Angel has to lean forward to hear the words clearly. "And there were people there." She hesitates, furrowing her brows. "Or not people really, at least not all of them. I think some of them were turtles." She sounds a bit embarrassed at the words, and quickly raises her hands in front of her face in a protective motion. "I know it sounds absolutely crazy, and I thought I were imagining it myself, but now that I look like this…" Her voice fades as she spreads her now green, webbed fingers, staring at them in amazement. "And there were robots," she adds, eyes still glued on her hands. "And some kind of green gooey liquid stuff. It splattered all over me. I'm pretty sure that's what caused this whole reaction."

Angel is stunned, barely believing what she just heard. 24 hours ago she would have laughed Mona in the face after being told such a silly story, but much has happened since then. She has seen Bradford the mutant dog, she has started working for the Foot Clan, she has been beaten up by ninja turtles. And now she's talking to a girl with a tail and green skin. The world sure is a strange place.

"You've met the turtles?" she asks slowly, and Mona immediately looks up with wide eyes.

"Yes. They… they killed a man, right in front of me. You know them?"

Angel grimaces. "I wouldn't put it that way. They are enemies of both the Foot and the Purple Dragons."

Mona stares at her with a blank expression. "You know I haven't got a clue what the Foot is, right?"

"Never mind, it's not important." Angel starts waving a hand, but then stops herself, a grin spreading across her face. "Or on the other hand, it might be."

* * *

The boys are just getting ready to leave when April walks into the room. She stops and gazes at them as they file into the Shellraiser, not sure of what she should do. The air feels heavy around her, and she's had a splitting headache for the last couple of hours. Even though they are in constant danger up there, she can't help but envy her friends.

"You're looking gloomy, April." She jumps when Leo suddenly walks past her, headed toward the Shellraiser.

"Yeah," she admits. "I'm starting to get a bit claustrophobic down here."

"I know how you feel," he says. "Being stuck down here for too long has a way of driving you a bit crazy."

She had completely forgotten about the fact that he and his brothers were locked in the lair for fifteen whole years, not once seeing the gleam of daylight. It's only been six days since she moved into the spare room next to Mikey's.

"I'm sorry, Leo. I didn't think that you and the others…"

"Oh, no, don't worry about it." He smiles calmingly at her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "You're used to going wherever you want, whenever you want. This turn of events must be a bit of a shock to you."

She nods, not daring to open her mouth. Leo starts toward the Shellraiser again, gesturing for her to come along.

"Maybe we can do something to make you feel a bit better," he says, grinning mysteriously.

"And what would that be?" April asks suspiciously. Leo's ways of feeling better usually involves either Space Heroes or ninjutsu training, and she's sick and tired of both.

"How about some fresh air?" He suggests it casually, as if merely stating that the weather has been unusually nice lately. April's eyes widen.

"Really?" she cries, almost jumping up and down. "You'd do that for me?" She knows she's no ninja, not yet that is, and having her along will only slow them down. But she is too excited at the thought of fresh air, at being able to look up and seeing something other than concrete, that she just can't decline.

Leo shrugs. "We're taking the Shellraiser, so if problem shows up you can just hide while we handle it." She just can't help it; a squeal of delight escapes her and she envelopes Leo in a tight hug.

* * *

April felt a bit out of place inside the former subway car. All of the boys had their specific stations, like parts of a complex machine in which she was nothing but a fifth wheel. She couldn't have been happier when Leo pulled over, drove into a dark alley and parked the Shellraiser, allowing them all to leave vehicle and take to the roof tops.

She loves the roofs, loves the feeling of wind in her face and the whole city laid out like a shining blanket strewn with jewels before her. She's not too skilled in roof hopping yet though, and Donnie all too often has to rush in, sweep her off her feet and help her over the wider rifts.

Not much seems to be happening down at street level and they're all a bit giddy about April's presence, so the guys are joking around; doing very elaborate and very unnecessary flips and twirls, laughing and chasing each other over the roofs. Even Leo is relaxing, obviously forgetting about the fact that their enemies could be anywhere. The only one who seems to be in a bad mood is Raph, running ahead of the others, glaring at his them when they make too much noise. She runs up next to Donnie, panting for breath.

"What's with," gasping for air, "him?""

"He's just upset about last night," Donnie says, indifferently waving it away, quickly shifting the conversation around to her. "How does it feel to see the sky again?"

"Amazing!" she screams, spreading her arms out and grinning wildly. Donnie twirls out of the way as to not get slapped in the face by her waving hands. His eyes glisten as he beams his gapped-toothed smile at her.

"Hey, keep it down back there!" Both April and Donnie jumps at the sound and notice that Raph has started running backwards to be able to glare at them properly. "Some of us are trying to work here."

"Aw." Mikey takes of the side of a building, spins through the air and lands only inches from his older sibling, hands casually resting at the back of his neck. "Are we grumpy tonight, Raphie?"

Raph roars and lunges for the orange masked turtle, who dives out of the way with a shriek and his hands moved up to cover his head.

"Not cool! Not cool! I was just _joking_!"

"You want a joke? Let me show you what _I_ think is funny!" Raph cracks his knuckles and takes off after his brother, roaring like a fuming tyrannosaur. Mikey dashes forward, wailing at the top of his lungs.

April stops, staring after them in bewilderment. "Are they always like this during patrols?" she asks, annoyed and amused at the same time.

"Nah, Raph usually catches him before he has a chance to get a head start." Donnie follows his brothers with his eyes, obviously used to their behavior. April somehow expected them to act a little more mature with Foot soldiers looking for them all over the New York.

"Guys!" Leo hisses. "Quiet down! You're going to wake the entire city!"

"Just give me a minute, fearless," Raph huffs, a squealing Mikey forced into a headlock on the ground.

Leo steps toward them, prepared to stop the skirmish a bit more head on then by merely force of words.

"Wait a second," Donnie suddenly says, cocking his head. "I think I heard someone screaming."

"I'm screaming!" Mikey cries, trying to no avail to twist his arms out of his brother's grip.

"Be quiet," Donnie hisses. "I'm trying to listen."

As Leo reaches the two younger turtles and attempts to pull them, apart Donnie walks over to the edge of the roof, peering down toward the street. April steps up beside him, squinting into the dark.

"See anything?"

"Not really, no." He sighs. "You know what I need? Night vision goggles. That would really make nights like this a lot easier."

"That would be awesome," April grins. "Maybe you can build some."

Donnie's face brightens. "You think I could do that?"

"You can do anything," she reassures him. "If I wanted to go to Mars, you'd be the first one I turned to to get my very own spacecraft."

That's when the sound of shattering glass breaks their friendly conversation, even shutting Raph, Mikey and Leo up in the middle of their fight, Leo now being the one pressed into the ground.

"Well, that's not familiar at all," Raph says, letting go of Leo's shell and drawing his sais with a wide smirk. "Time to kick some butt!"

Leo gets up, looking a bit disheveled and trying to regain his composure. "We shall save the lives of the innocent," he says, glaring at Raph in the corner of his eye. "And punish the wicked!" April giggles and Raph rolls his eyes, leaping off the building. "Hey!" Leo calls, immediately taking off after him. "That one was pretty good, admit it!" A low clatter is heard as they jump to the fire escape on the wall opposite, effectively making their way down to the alley. Mikey whoops and follows close behind.

"You just stay up here, okay April?" Donnie looks at her nervously, as if expecting her to jump off the building any second. She glances down, shuddering at the sight.

"Don't think I can get down anyway," she says, smiling at him. "Now hurry up or there won't be any creeps left for you to beat up."  
He grabs her arm, pulling her into a quick hug before following his brothers. There is just enough light for April to see him blush.

* * *

Mona's world is getting weirder and weirder by the hour. First being invited to a party, then seeing robots and murderous turtle-people, then being turned into a lizard, and now, well, apparently she is about to join the Purple Dragons.

Or the Foot Clan. She still don't quite get the difference.

She isn't a criminal. There were times when she was fascinated with bank robbers or con artists who managed to avoid the law for years by elaborate tricks, but brute muggers and street gangs had always made her wrinkle her nose. It wasn't really the crime itself that captivated her, but the intelligence behind it, and the Dragons and their likes didn't seem to have much intelligence.

But Angel is right; she can't hide in her apartment forever.

Angel. Mona is still a bit perplexed regarding the younger girl. She was trying to rob her, for crying out loud! But she also took her in and helped her when her own family would rather that goo had killed her then turned her into what she is now.

Her grandparents had never been particularly fond of her, not since her mother, their beloved only child, died giving birth to her. She never knew who her father was (she even suspected her guardians somehow blamed even her mother's thoughtless one-night-stand on her) and had nowhere else to go than into the care of her resentful grandparents.

She was bitter about it sometimes, the way they blamed her for things she couldn't possibly control, but tried her hardest not to think about it too much, being the better person and everything. They never openly argued with her, but they were always quick to punish her for any mistakes she did and never had any heart-to-heart conversations with her. There were no birthday parties, no hot soup on her sick days, not even a 'good job' when her grades climbed well above the average value. She had stopped trying to impress or please them many years ago, and all hard work she forced her way through in school was for her personal gain only. The quicker she finished her education and got an actual job (preferably as a scientist), the quicker she could get the hell out of their cursed house.

And now all of her efforts were for nothing. It's not like a lab would accept her as anything other than a dissection sample, and not even a way for her to finish her education. She had considered trying to find the Kraang, or Captain Filch, or even those despicable turtles, but hastily abandoned the idea. It was a miracle she survived the first mutation, and the odds of successfully reversing it was at a minimum, if existing at all, even if they somehow did decide to help her. No matter how awful this body was it sure was better than no body at all.

So her goal had gone from top grade scientist to street gang mugger. How lovely.

But she had to admit that she knew more about New York now than she ever had before. She was aware of the existence of the Purple Dragons (after all, many of her classmates were rumored members) but had never before heard of the Foot Clan, Shredder or even mutants.

She still didn't know much of the Shredder, other than that he was some kind of vengeful crime lord, and the ways of the Foot were still rather dusky to her, but she had learned quite a lot about mutants. There were two of them working for the Shredder, and when Angel told her that she was thrilled. She knew it was cruel of her, but she was just so happy to no longer be alone in her misery. They weren't too glad about seeing her, though.

"What use can we possibly have of a school girl?" the first one had said.

He was hideous in a way Mona could never have even imagined; his body turned into that of a giant, pinkish fish with a huge maw filled with nasty teeth, eyes yellow and arms degenerated into tiny, skinny limbs. He didn't even have any legs, having to rely on cyborg ones only. She felt terribly sorry for him, even though he scared her to no end.

"I'm a school girl," Angel pointed out, clearly offended by his words.

"And you have served oh so well," the fishman said sardonically. "Maybe we should give you a promotion for getting pummeled last night, hm?"  
Angel puffed her cheeks out, but said no more.

The second mutant had been a bit more interested, walking up close to her, snarling and staring her down. She had felt like her legs nearly giving in on her, shivering like rubber, but stood her ground as the dog like creature sized her up.

"Xever has a point," he said, his voice a hoarse growl. "What use could you possibly be for us other than target practice?"

Mona had realized he was waiting for an answer, but her mouth was too dry to open, her tongue lying limp in her mouth. Thankfully Angel had stepped in, saving her in the last minute.

"Please," she said, sounding cocky and confident instead of terrified, as Mona would have. "She has nowhere else to go and you need more people. Besides, she can fight if that is what it takes, right?" Angel looked at her expectantly.

"I – I used to take self-defense classes," Mona had croaked.

"Very well then, let's give you a chance, shall we?" the mutant said, sneering at her with enormous canines protruding from his mouth. "There doesn't seem to be any ninja around, will you do the honor, Xever?"

"Oh, it will be my pleasure." Xever the fish smirked as he walked up to her, robotic legs whirring with electronics. Suddenly Mona didn't feel very good about not being the only mutant around.

He stroke quickly and powerfully, and Mona had no doubt that if this had been yesterday then the kick would have hit her full force straight in the chest. But she wasn't the same girl she had been back then, and her body seemed to react on both instinct and practice, slipping out of the way just moments before the metal foot would have connected with her.

Xever seemed surprised, giving her the chance to back off, getting in a defensive stance, hands protecting her face and legs tensed. She didn't notice it herself, but her tail whipped angrily behind her. The other mutant eyed her up and down, snorted at the sight and attacked anew. She ducked his second kick, rolling under him and trying to wrap her tail around his legs as she went. But he was too fast and too strong, ripping himself from her grasp before she had the chance to get a good grip. She barely managed to roll out of the way as he stamped at her, and wasn't fast enough to avoid the blow to her face. She stumbled back, marveling at how those skinny arms could be so powerful.

She knew this was a lost cause as he attacked again. Someone had clearly trained this man, and she stood no chance to his skill and ruthlessness. But they must have known that as they forced her into this battle. They didn't want her to win; they just wanted to see for how long she'd stay on her feet.

Mona was very stubborn. She wasn't about to let this thing take her down without at least leaving her mark.

She jumped as he came at her, amazed at the strength in her legs, spun in the air and somehow landed behind him. Bewildered, the mutant started to turn, but she dashed forward, crashing into his moist back and pushing him out of balance. Her hands and arms turned sticky from the contact with his damp skin, but she didn't allow herself to be grossed out. There'd be time to freak about that later.  
Not giving him the opportunity to regain his balance, she grabbed his left arm, attempting to pull it into an arm lock against his back. That was a mistake.

He twisted his arm, grabbed hold of her wrist and flung her into a concrete wall. Mona groaned, turned around with a throbbing head to face him again, but he was already there, nailing her to the wall, teeth only inches from her exposed face.

"Maybe not completely useless," he said, "but certainly no ninja. But beggars can't be choosers, ey?" He dropped her, backing off with an approving nod of his head. "Let Fong bring her tonight, see how she handles herself in the field. If she proves to be of any use we'll bring the matter up with Shredder, let him decide."

Mona kept her back straight, allowing no pain to show even though she felt like collapsing into a panting, moaning heap on the floor.

"And if she isn't of any use the Foot could always need another punching bag." The dog glared at her through narrowed eyes. "Better not screw up, little girl." She gulped, and promised herself not to.

* * *

She is happy Angel was allowed to come along. Something tells her she couldn't have handled her first breaking and entering without the presence of her new friend. The three of them were the only ones participating in the little excursion.

Fong was a tall, skinny man, black haired and grim-faced with an impressive dragon tattoo crawling up his left arm. Mona can't help but wonder if she'll have to get one of those to if she manages to become an official member of the gang. She shudders; she's always had an irrational fear of needles.

"Come on ladies, time to do some shopping." Fong smirks at her, clearly not impressed with her reptilian skin.

"Oh yeah." Angel's eyes are big and shiny. "I want to see some diamonds!"

"Let's hurry up then!" He turns to the back door of the jewelry, working the lock with some kind of electronic device. "Lucky for us the incompetent Stockman managed to build us some toys before he took off; this baby picks the lock and dismantles the alarms in a matter of minutes." Just as he says that a clicking sound is heard and the door swings open. He grins. "Se what I mean?"

Angel smiles a wide grin and pushes past him into the store, bag in hand and fingers trembling with excitement. This is probably her first major coup. Mona starts to follow her, but Fong's arm shoots out, blocking her way.

"If you screw this up, lizard, I'll personally gut you." He releases something from his belt and brings it up in her face. Mona's eyes widen as she realizes it's a gleaming butcher's knife. "Get it?" Anger flush up inside her, but she pushes it aside and nods. He narrows his eyes, obviously not trusting her, and then slips into the store.

It's dark inside the jewelry, but Mona can still clearly see the sparkling gems resting in the glass boxes. Her heart is beating faster by the second. Angel has already crushed one of the glass lids and is busy shoving glittering stones into her bag, but Mona can feel Fong watching her. She is supposed to be searching for the most valuable items, but she can't seem to move.

_This isn't right,_ she thinks. _Maybe I can find another way to survive._

_And how are you supposed to do that?_ she scolds herself._ Hand yourself over to the local zoo? Join a circus? From now on you won't have any other choice than to steal, whether you do it for the Purple Dragons or just to get something to eat. At least this way you won't be all alone. And they probably have one heck of an insurance anyway_.

_That doesn't make it right._

Before she manages to make up her mind the sound of shattering glass, accompanied by an agonized scream, breaks her concentration. She twirls, catching sight of Fong lying on his back amidst an ocean of glass fragments outside the store. He is moaning, eyes closed and blood oozing from a gash on his forehead along with several cuts along his arms.

"You criminal little creep!"

She ducks her head, scarcely avoiding something swung at her head with ferocious power. Stumbling back, she finally finds the assailant.  
It's just a boy. His face is hidden behind a white hockey mask, but his lean body and youthful voice reveals him. His hair is dark and rather long, a golf bag is slung over one shoulder and a hockey stick is clenched in his hands. He charges at her, not awaiting her response, and raises his stick to strike. Mona yelps and jumps out of the way.

"Help me out over here!" she screams, frantically avoiding the boy's swings.

The younger girl shares none of Mona's precautions, barging straight at the guy with a battle roar. He's prepared, though, quickly sidestepping and whacking her in the back with his hockey stick. Angel shrieks and falls head over heels, landing in a scrambling pile at his feet. Mona is shocked as he raises his stick once again, aiming for the girl's head.

"Leave her alone!" Mona cries, dashing forward and ducking in the last second to avoid his lashing arm. She catches him around the waist, effectively pushing him off his feet, tumbling to the floor along with him.

She tries to hold him down, hands clasped around his wrists and knees pressed into his stomach, but he is to strong, pushing her off of him. She rolls over the floor, her back hitting one of the glass containers and putting her to a stop. Quickly she gets to her feet, getting into the same defensive stance she used against Xever. Behind the boy she can see Angel lean against the wall, wobbly and shivering. Her face is hidden behind a black ski mask, but Mona can tell she is in pain even without seeing her expression.

"I – I think my ankle is sprained!" she calls, trying to no avail to support on her left leg. It immediately gives way under her, and she catches herself on the wall with a shriek.

Mona is starting to panic. Fong told her not to screw this up, and right now she is the last one standing. Angel can't fight and Fong can't even get up. If Mona doesn't find a way to fix this it'll be game over.

"Get out of here!" she calls to Angel, jumping back and forth as to not to get pummeled by the boy's hockey stick. "Take him with you and run! I'll cover you." She says the last part with a grim face, not entirely sure how she'll work this out.

Angel hesitates, but seems to understand the situation they're in and nods before she takes off towards Fong. Mona backs off, allows herself a deep breath and then goes head first into the fight, doing her best to buy the two fleeing thieves as much time as possible.

He's strong, very strong, but Mona is keeping her ground. She even thinks she'd have a decent chance of winning, if it wasn't for one thing: the boy is absolutely remorseless. All his blows are aimed at her vital parts, and she knows that if she slips and lets him land a single hit on her head she'll be out of it. But she just can't bring herself to fight with the same blood thirst as he does. She could slip in under his guard and poke his eyes out, or grab hold of his ears and rip them off with one mighty blow. She could even target his unprotected temples or the back of his head, easily cracking his skull with this new mutant strength of hers.

But she just can't.

As she's getting tired, her attempts to stay out of his reach are getting slower. Then the inevitable happens: the hockey stick smacks into her shoulder, making her dizzy with pain. She screams, nearly falling to the ground, and reels away from him.

It hurts so, so bad. A filter of red covers her vision, and every sensation vanishes, the only thing remaining being the pain in her shoulder. It's dislocated, she realizes. She can't possibly fight, or even flee, with a dislocated arm.

"Stop!" she screams as he raises his hockey stick. "Don't do this!"

Not knowing what else to do, she reaches up and pulls the ski mask from her face. The boy freezes at the sight of her, and for a moment she dares hope that he'll get terrified and run off. But her hopes crumble as he charges again, more relentless than ever. _Get him talking. That'll buy you some time at the very least._

"What am I supposed to do?" she calls as she ducks out of the way, clutching her arm. "Search for jobs for unemployed mutants? I have no other choice!"

"I don't care what your reasons are," he says, voice shivering with rage. "No one breaks the law in my city!"

"You're breaking the law!" she shouts, taking cover behind one of the glass boxes. He falters, seemingly taken aback by her words. "What makes your reason any better than mine?"

She never gets to know his reason, because just as he opens his mouth someone charges in through the broken window.

Someone green.

Oh, darn it, this just isn't her night.

The four mutant turtles line up, weapons at the ready.

* * *

Leo can barely believe his eyes when they find the source of the noise; the boy in his hockey mask isn't too much of a surprise, but the girl with a green face and whipping tail sends his head reeling. She seems to be in pain, clutching her shoulder tightly with her free hand and panting heavily. The boy seems rather frustrated at their arrival.

"Stop getting in my way!" he growls, hockey stick aimed threateningly at them. He is smart enough not to charge, though. Leo and his fellow siblings would have pummeled him. But Leo has other plans. If only he can get this human to _listen_.

"You're fighting the wrong people," he says. "We're at the same side. We don't want the Purple Dragons here anymore than you do, believe me, but you can't just kill them."

The boy glowers at him. "I don't care who you are or what you want, as long as you let me do what I do."

"Well, not going to happen, pal." Raph tightens the grip on his sais and jumps forward before Leo has a chance to stop him. With that one, thoughtless move chaos erupts.

Raph and the boy clashes in the middle of the store, tearing at each other with blood thirsty rage. Leo screams at them to stop and attempts to pull his younger brother away, but the red masked turtle is fighting back with all his might. At the corner of his eye Leo notices the lizard girl slipping out through the window.

With combined power he, Don and Mikey manages to separate the two fighters, flinging them in opposite directions.

"Raph," Leo scowls while the two youngest turtles keep the human back. "Go find that girl, we'll handle this."

"What?" Raph stares at him in utter shock. "Have you lost your mind, shell for brains?"

"Listen, I don't want to fight this guy, I want to reason with him, and you aren't being very reasonable."

Raph grinds his teeth. "You can't just send me away!"

"In fact, I can." He musters up all the courage he has for the coming words. "Find the girl. That's an order." He turns away, trusting his brother to obey a direct order.

A moment of silent follows, and then he hears Raph's angry snarl before he takes to the street. He releases his breath, not realizing he'd been holding it. Grateful over the ill-tempered turtle's departure he turns back to the human, who have been cornered by Donnie and Mikey.

"You must understand that this is wrong," Leo tries, spreading his arms out in front of him. "We shouldn't be fighting, we could help each other out. Don't you see that?" The human glares at him, crushing his hopes. But then there's a sound of screeching tires, and all four of them turn to the shattered window as a black van pulls over, its headlights covering them with white brightness.

"Ehm, dudes, that's not good, is it?" Mikey asks, hands gripped tightly around his nunchucks.

"Definitely not," Donnie says with a high-pitched voice. "Leo, we really should get out of here!"

Leo's heart is beating rapidly, his brain spinning in search of a solution. He never has the time to figure something out; a dark clad human steps out of the vehicle, and before any of them have the time to react a low poof is heard.

Mikey yelps, and when Leo turns around he can see his little brother stumble back, crashing into one of the glass boxes and falling onto his shell. A tiny, red dart is sticking out of his left arm.

"Mikey!" Donnie shouts, completely forgetting of the attacker as he starts toward the fallen turtle.

"Don, watch out!" Leo screams, trying to push his brother out of the way but not being fast enough. The purple clad turtle falls to the ground, a dart sticking out of his leg.

"Behind you!"

He turns just as the hockey stick wielding human jumps in front of him, deflecting yet another dart with a smack of his make-shift weapon. Leo stares at him for a second, shocked by his sudden change of tactics.

"Step out of the way!" the figure calls from the van, pointing its tranquilizer gun toward Leo. "That is a highly dangerous mutant; you could get hurt."

But the boy doesn't move, staying protectively in front of his enemy. "What do you want with them?" he asks, voice low but still clearly perceptible.  
The dark clad figure sighs, and Leo tries to get a better look at him from his relatively safe spot. He's dressed entirely in black, a bulletproof west covering his chest and night vision goggles strapped over his forehead. A belt is wrapped around his waist, filled to the breaking-point with various weapons and other items that Leo cannot place.

"These creatures are to be taken into custody of the government," the man finally says. "As a civilian you have no right to intervene; now please step out of the way."

The boy cocks his head to the side, regarding the man. "Make me."

Sighing, the man puts his gun away. "Very well then, if that's the way you want it." And then he takes off, unlike anything Leo had ever imagined.  
He has fought Xever and Bradford and the Shredder, he has felt the incredible power and invulnerability the Kraang holds. He has faced giant humanoid insects and a self-regenerating weed, battled off a magma breathing stone statue and a mutant alligator with anger issues. He has even faced his own Sensei in a life-or-death battle. During his time as a ninja Leo has learned to see which enemies he can take, and which are simply way out of his league.

This man is light years ahead of him.

He moves fast, too fast to be human, and pushes the boy out of the way with one swift blow. The poor kid tumbles away and hits the wall head first, slides down to the floor and then stays very still. Leo attempts to move under his opponents guard, but is greeted whit a powerful knee to his plastron. He stumbles back, gasping for air, slashing his katana wildly to keep the man from getting any closer. Problem is, with tranquilizer guns you don't need to get very close.

Something stings his arm, and he knows what it is even before he sees the red dart sticking out of his left bicep.

"Oh shell," he mutters, hears his katana clatter to the floor and sees the world turn black.

* * *

April is running as fast as her legs can carry her. She knew something was wrong the moment Raphael dashed out of the store, leaving his brothers behind. When the van showed up she was getting jumpy, and when a dark clad human started dragging the clearly unconscious turtles out on the street she knew she had to intervene.

She can swear they had only been running across the roofs for a minute or so before they stopped, but it seems to take her ages to get back to the Shellraiser. Legs pounding and feet stinging she rushes between the obstacles, throwing herself over even the widest rifts. This could have been a great moment. Any other night she wouldn't have dared try out those jumps, even though she knows she would have had a good chance of clearing them, but now she flies over them like a bird. Donnie would have been so proud.

But there is no time for fear, or doubt, or even relief as she manages to regain her balance after a landing a little too close to the edge. She makes it back to the Shellraiser after what feels like ages, but must be record time.

She hasn't got a license, but knows the gist of how to drive after a few short lessons with her dad. He is a great teacher, but never had the time to finish her training. She quickly pushes the distracting thoughts away, starts the vehicle with a roar and takes to the streets. The Shellraiser jumps under her and reluctantly rolls a few feet, only to come to a sputtering stop. She swears, frantically works the transmission and feels like cheering as the engine comes to life once again. Her joy is short lived though, and she nearly crashes into a traffic light at the first intersection, having trouble keeping an eye at all the different monitors. _Damn it_, she curses, _what's wrong with a normal windshield_?

She can nearly hear Raph answer her, a smirk ever present on his smug face._ A windshield tends to shatter when you bring your car crashing through walls._

_Well, who crashes through walls anyway_, she grumbles, wildly turning the wheel. If that moron Pulverizer somehow managed to drive this thing, then so could she! She turns another corner with two tires on the sidewalk, brings the car back down on all four and changes gear at the same time as she rapidly works her eyes over the different monitors. Is she supposed to turn left here, or right? Should she even have gone straight ahead in that past intersection? Shell, it was hard to remember a route which she had only seen from the roofs!

Just as she is about to panic a van shows up ahead of her, driving in a calm and innocent manner, as if no unconscious mutant turtles are being kidnapped inside of it. April squares her shoulders, quickly straps on her forgotten seatbelt and twirls the wheel, sending the Shellraiser crashing straight into the front of the van.

She is flung forward in her seat, gasping for air as the seatbelt presses over her chest. The sound of grinding metal, screeching tires and shattering glass fills the night, only to be followed by an even louder silence. _Oh man_, she thinks, suddenly aware of what she just did. _Please let that be the right car_.

She shoots the door open and jumps down to the street, cautiously sneaking closer to the smashed vehicle. The subway car was full of dents and scratches even before she got a chance to drive it, and it's sturdy enough to have survived the additional crash pretty well, but the entire front of the van looks like crumpled paper. Steam is coming from the engine and one of the tires is still spinning, elevated from the ground by about a foot. She can't see anyone sitting behind the wheel thanks to the hazy mist, and comes to a stop some distance away, warily trying to catch sight of anything, or anyone, in the driver's seat. There seems to be something, a black form slumped over the wheel…

The sudden roaring of an engine makes her jump, frantically searching the street for the source of the noise. Has backup arrived already? She starts toward the van, glass crumbling under her booted feet, instantly deciding that the driver must be out cold. If more like him are headed her way she's going to need a weapon, and she can bet he has a whole arsenal in there. You'd need at least that to take the turtles down.

A black and silvery motorcycle slides onto the street, clearly headed straight for the wrecked van. April climbs onto the driver's seat, slithering her way around the unconscious man seated there with his head resting on the wheel. She pauses to check if he's breathing and, after confirming that he's still alive, tugs at his jacket to be able to reach his belt. A sheeted knife catches her attention and she hastily pulls it out of its cover, having no time to look for anything better. Besides, it's a really big knife. _Like a mini-machete_, she thinks, trying to build up some courage through horribly bad jokes the way Mikey does. It doesn't work too well.

The bike comes to a sliding stop, the frantic driver stumbling off of it before the wheels have even stopped spinning. He immediately pulls a baseball bat from the golf bag on his back, holding it in a tight grip in front of him. April recognizes the hockey mask from the guys' story of last night, and sets her jaw, aware of that he is an enemy and need to be treated that way. She just has to knock him out and then she can get her friends out of here and to safety. She gulps, takes a deep breath, and throws herself out of the shadows, screaming like a maniac.

The boy in front of her comes to an abrupt stop, but instinctively swings his bat at the charging girl. April, having more than pure instinct to rely on, agilely ducks the blow, elbows him in the stomach and punches the handle of the knife into the middle of his masked face. He tumbles back, blood pouring from his nose, and she sends him sprawling on his back with a powerful roundhouse kick to the chest. He's still moving though, trying to get back up. April doesn't like it, but she knows she must render him unconscious to be able to save her friends without him getting in the way.

She sits on his chest, knees on his arms to keep him down, and raises her right hand above her head to knock him out with one finishing blow. _It won't hurt him too bad,_ she thinks. _Splinter said a hit like this will only give a minor concussion, as long as I hit the right spot_. His blue eyes widen behind the hockey mask.

"April, stop!"

She halts her hand only inches from his face, frowning at him. "Do I know you?"

"It's me, Casey!" He tries to wriggle himself free from under her. "Casey Jones!"'

She furrows her brows, not remembering ever meeting any Casey Jones. Finishing her movement toward his head, she tugs the mask of his face, staring at a stunned boy, only a year or so older than herself. There is something familiar with his face, she admits. Probably just a boy from school. They must all recognize her by now, first with her dad being kidnapped and then herself vanishing from the surface of the earth.

"I was just trying to help those turtle guys!" He's twisting and squirming under her, but she learned this grip from a master of ninjutsu. He's not going anywhere as long as he doesn't want to break an arm.

"You were helping them," she says slowly, eyeing him closely, searching for any trace of him lying. "I thought you were fighting them." She points the tip of the knife at his face, seeing him grow considerably paler.

"I was, but only because they got in my way! I didn't want them to get taken away by some crazy government guy, I swear!"

April stares at him, contemplating on whether or not to trust him. She could use some help getting the guys into the Shellraiser, and this Casey something at least looks rather strong.

"Okay," she says. "You want to help? Then give me a hand carrying the guys into the Shellraiser so I can get them the hell out of here."

He stares at her with a blank expression. "The Shell-what-now?"

She grinds her teeth. "The subway car!"

Seeing his still rather perplexed face she flings herself off of him, putting the knife in her belt. "Just do as I say, and don't get in the way, or else." She points a warning finger at him, trying to look like a ferocious kunoichi and not a sixteen-year-old girl. He nods, carefully getting back on his feet.

April heads back to the driver's seat, hastily wriggling the keys out of the ignition. Just as she turns away, she notices the night vision goggles strapped to the mans forehead (at least that's what she think they are; they sure look clumsy and complicated enough). Remembering her conversation with Donnie earlier, she just can't help but pull them off, putting them around her own neck for the time being. The purple clad turtle will be thrilled.

If he's still alive, that is.

She quickly head to the back of the van, unlocking the door and swinging it open. As she catches sight of the three turtles flung carelessly across the floor her throat feels a little thick. What if they got hurt in the crash? That would be entirely her fault!

Trying to keep the terrifying thought away, she and Casey unites their forces to lift the boys over to the Shellraiser, still barely able to budge them.

"Shit," Casey says. "What do you feed them, bricks?"

"Mostly pizza," she replies, heaving the last turtle onto the floor. She stops to look at them, feeling terribly worried. What if they don't wake up? What did that man even do to them to knock them out like this?

A heavy moan shatters her worried thoughts, making both her and Casey turn toward the driver of the van. He's starting to stir, reflexively searching for a weapon in his belt. April gulps.

"Let's get out of here."

Casey nods, going to retrieve his bike. April is just about to close the door when a high pitched scream pierces through the night.

"My bike!" Casey shrieks. "It's got a flat tire!"

"Oh my, now how could that happen on a street full of shattered glass?" April says dryly. Casey glares at her.

"This bike is my baby! How am I supposed to afford…"

A sudden explosion sends them both to their knees, reflectively protecting their heads. April glances under the Shellraiser, immediately noticing the man from the van. He is still slumped in the driver's seat, not even able to keep his back straight, but he has somehow managed to pull a gun from his belt. Said gun is now aimed in Casey's general direction, but the man is thankfully too out of it to aim properly.

"That's a pistol!" Casey screams. "He's trying to bloody kill us!"

"Get in the Shellraiser," April demands. "I'm getting us out of here."

Casey doesn't argue, but as he pulls up his bike, practically dragging it across the pavement, she stares at him in shock.

"_What are you doing?_"

"I'm _not _leaving my bike behind," he states as yet another bullet flings through the air, sending up a mist of gravel as it smashes into the ground. Casey covers, quickly getting behind the Shellraiser and tries to get his bike through the door. April glowers at him.

"You're insane." He doesn't even look at her, just keeps tugging at his bike. She growls, sounding eerily familiar to Raph, and gives him a hand. By the time she gets the engine running the man has already gotten a phone up, probably calling for reinforcement. It doesn't matter. April and her friends will be far away from here by the time they arrives.

Casey is sitting on the floor, surrounded by turtles and one hand still clinging protectively to his bike. April tries her best to ignore him and focus on the monitors, but his wide-eyed expression as he checks the Shellraiser out is just too darn hilarious.

"So," he says, still the same look of wonder on his face. "How long have you known these guys?"  
She is saved from answering by the heavenly sound of a T-phone ringing.

* * *

Raph is so angry he is boiling. How dare Leo do this? How dare he! Raph is their best fighter, their strongest soldier, but fearless of course had to play Splinter Junior and be all wise and stuff, thinking they can talk that idiotic human out of smashing people into the ground. That kind of people doesn't listen to words, only force. How can Leo not see that?

He doesn't even bother to use stealth as he follows the girl, to upset to look for good hiding places. Besides, she has already noticed him trailing her, so there's not really any point.

She puts up good fight, and normally the chase might have amused Raph, but tonight isn't a normal night. He just wants to get this over with, find Leo and tell him precisely what he thinks of this. Snarling, he powers up his legs, leaps up a fire escape and climbs it in a matter of seconds. Once on the roof he takes off again, quickly gaining on the girl down below. Her head whips around, searching for him but not understanding that he is above her. Okay, so maybe he's a little amused by it.

He takes off from the building he's running on as soon as he finds the right place, jumping between balconies until he lands right in front of her. She widens her eyes in surprise and tries to stop, but she is moving too fast and he is standing to close. Crashing into his plastron, she wobbles and gasps for air. She attempts to twirl and make a run for it, but he catches onto her arm and flings her into a dead end alley, blocking the only way out. She backs away from him, spins and searches for an escape route. When she understands that she is trapped she turns back, facing him, yet clearly terrified.

"Okay, fun's over," Raph grumbles. "Let's get out of here."

She stares at him, clearly shocked by his word. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she says, her mouth staying open as if there is more she wants to tell him but isn't brave enough to get it out there.

"And where are you supposed to go?" he says, crossing his arms. "It's not like you can check into a hotel."

She takes a step back, glaring at him. "Just leave me alone."

"Now, see, I can't do that. We're sort of responsible for keeping the mutants in this town in check, so I can't just let you run rampant."

"I'm no trouble for anyone," she pleads.

"Oh really?" He smirks at her. "So what were you doing inside a jewelry store, getting beaten up by a crime fighter?"

She hesitates, lips trembling. He notices that her green skin is terribly pale, and that her posture is very rigid, even for someone who is being cornered by a mutant turtle. Is she hurt? He can't see any blood. That's when he realizes how tightly she's clutching her left arm, and that her shoulder seems to be a bit out of place.

"Look, your obviously injured," he says, trying a different tactic. "I know someone who can get you patched up, someone who _isn't _a vet."

"I'm fine," she snaps, and he can't help but roll his eyes at her.

"Let us test that statement, shall we?" He starts toward her, seeing her scramble back as he closes up on her. As her back hits the wall and she desperately tries to raise her fists in front of her he stops, still a foot or so away from her. Quick as only a ninja can be, he sneaks a hand through her guard and gently pokes her shoulder.

She gasps, immediately pulling her protective fist back to clutch her arm close to her body. Raph can't help but feel a bit guilty.

"I've got people who can help me," she pants, and he raises an eye ridge at her.

"Let me guess; you've been recruited by either the Purple Dragons or the Foot, because I'm supposing that you wouldn't come up with the idea to rob a jewelry store without backup, and now you're expecting them to help you out, even though you just failed your first mission and none of them have any experience in medical treatment?" He looks at her, seeing her purse her lips and glower at him, obviously refusing to admit he just figured her out.

"Listen, you've clearly got nowhere good to go, you're injured and you could probably use some guidance from some fellow mutants, so why not just come with me, okay?"

"You murdered someone!" she spits, finally dressing in words what has been bothering her.

"What the shell are you blabbering about?" he snaps, pointing an accusing finger at her. "We don't kill people, we're trying to _keep_ them from _being_ killed!"

"I saw it!" she shouts, no longer trying to hold back her anger and fear. "You were right in front of me! You put that – that _stick thing_ of yours straight through his head!"

A flashback hits him like a sledgehammer; him taking down the Kraang at the dock, piercing its head with one of his sais. A human staring at him, her eyes wide and terrified. He feels like banging his head in the wall; here is a new mutant standing in front of him, the day after they saw someone getting splattered with mutagen, clearly terrified of him and his brothers even though they just saved her from being pounded. How could he not understand who she was?

"That was you?" he says. "That girl last night?"

"Yes!" she screams. "That was me! And now my life is ruined and I am _not _going with you to wreck it even more!"

He steps back, shocked by her raised voice. "Sheesh, quiet down," he grumbles. "I didn't kill anyone, what you saw was just a Kraang-bot getting bashed."

"Kraang-bot?" she shrieks, voice shrill.

"Yeah, they are like evil robot type guys who like to play around with ooze, the stuff that turned you into this." He gestures toward her, and realizes that she has gone very still and very silent, probably in some kind of shock. He's not sure, but he thinks he can recall Donnie mentioning that going into shock is _not good_. "Hey," he says, gently raising his hand top put it on her right shoulder. "Are you okay?"  
She flinches away from him, eyes glazed over with pain but no longer distant and empty.

"You're trying to tell me that you're fighting robots?" she asks skeptically, and Raph is happy that he didn't mention the inter-dimensional alien brains trying to destroy the world part.

"Yeah, didn't you see them? There were dozens of them coming out of that van."

"But the one you killed had a face," she insists, but he can see that he's getting to her.

"They wear human costumes, real freaky stuff." He shudders. "Not too hard to break for something made of metal, though, hit them hard enough and there will be sparks coming out of their heads. You saw that last night, didn't you? You're just trying to tell yourself that you imagined it."

She stands absolutely still, paler than ever. "Do you know how this happened to me?" she asks, voice frail. "Is there any way for me to – to go back?"

Raph suddenly feels a bit sorry for her. Getting ripped from her old life and thrown into this crazy reality must be a bit mind-numbing. He has never been very bothered by not being human, but then he's never had a chance to try it out.

"I'm not the right turtle to ask," he says honestly. "You should check with my brother Donnie, he's the brainiac of the family. But I wouldn't say the odds are too good; I've never seen someone being able to go from mutant to – to non-mutant." She doesn't look particularly surprised, and he guesses that she had already figured out that she'd be stuck like this. Poor kid. But she still sniffs, quickly rubbing her eyes before any tears manage to escape.

"So can you reconsider my offer?" he asks, trying to sound friendly. "We'll help you out with this, okay? Us mutants got to stick together."

She glances at him, biting her lower lip as she thinks through his suggestion. It doesn't really matter to Raph what she decides; this girl needs help, and if she won't accept it willingly he'll just have to throw her over his shoulder and carry her all the way to the lair. Turns out that won't be necessary.

"Okay," she says, head held high and eyes trying to look strong. "I'll come with you, but if you've lied to me…" She lets the warning stay unfinished.  
He grins. "Don't worry about it; I'm a ninja, we always keep our word." Well, most of the time, at least.

He starts to leave the alley, heading back to his brothers, but soon realizes he's going to need a better plan. It's a miracle he got here without being discovered (to be honest it wouldn't surprise him if some very stunned humans are still standing glued to their windows after he passed) and one look back at the lizard girl tells him that she is in no shape to do some roof hopping.

With the adrenaline from the chase leaving her system, the pain seems to return in full force. Her face is a sickly mix between green and white and she's wobbling back and forth as she walks, dizzy from the agony. He considers suggesting carrying her, but she probably wouldn't agree to it and it would hurt just as much as walking. He has no other choice; he'll need to call in some back-up. He walks back to her as he picks up the T-phone from his belt.


	3. Chapter 3: Pain

**AN: Google translate is my friend. Without it, this text would only have about half as many words. Google translate, I love you.**

**Here you go, the third chapter is done! *wipes sweat off my forehead* I'm not at all spending way too much time on this, but I'm having really fun, so it's totally worth it. **

**Mona and Casey makes it back to the lair, Donnie gets to tell his view of things and Splinter makes his first appearance, being all wise and stuff. Oh, and Irma gets in trouble.**

**Disclaimer (noticed I haven't done this in the previous chapters; please don't sue me!): I do of course not own TMNT**

* * *

Casey Jones had never really thought much of April O'Neil. She was just one of many girls a class under him, two years younger since he had been held back a year (it's not like it's _his _fault math and English are so incredibly unnecessary and complicated). They had never spoken, and before her dad was kidnapped he never even knew she existed.

But it was hard to miss her vanishing a few months later. Everyone had talked about it, and pictures of April had popped up everywhere. Apparently her aunt had set up some kind of reward for the person who found her missing, possibly kidnapped, niece.

Yet he still didn't expect meeting her like this. He had a vague idea of running into her tied up in some warehouse, saving her and becoming a hero. But _this_? It just doesn't make sense.

The turtle people were weird enough, but he just can't wrap his head around how April could be involved with them. Are they the reason she disappeared? Did they kidnap her? No, she wouldn't be so protective over them if they had taken her away against her will. His head is exploding with questions, but instead of prying the answers out of her he is stuck behind the wheel of this strange subway car (how did they even get it above ground? And what kind of stupid name is _the Shellraiser?_). When a phone started calling she called him over to the front of the vehicle, shoved him into the driver's seat and took off toward the unconscious mutants.

"Hey!" he cries. "Where are we going? And how do you even _drive_ this thing?"

"Just keep your eyes on the monitors and drive straight ahead," she says, pulls a cell phone from the blue masked turtle's belt and puts it to her ear.

Casey swears to himself and tries to focus on the different screens at the same time as he leans a little back, eavesdropping on her conversation.

"Raph? No, it's me, April… I'll explain later. Where are you? We need to get out of–" She stops talking, listening intently to the voice on the other end. Casey grumbles to himself, no longer able to follow the dialogue. When April suddenly starts shouting he nearly jumps out of the chair. "Forget what I said! Turn left here! _Left_!" She waves her arms, nearly slinging the phone into the wall. Casey spins the wheel, taking the turn on two tyres. "And then right, and right again…" She's standing behind him now, a hand on his shoulder as she leans forward, examining the many monitors. "Go straight ahead here and _stop_!"

He hits the brakes and the sound of bodies tumbling over the floor makes him nervously turn around, worried that one of the turtles might have scratched his bike. April lets go of him and heads back to them, aiming for the door, but just as she reaches for it someone pulls it open from the outside.

"Raph!" she exclaims, sagging with relief. "Thank God you're okay! Something's happened and…"

"Whatever, I'm sure fearless has it all under control."

A green, three fingered hand wrapped in tape reaches in, gently pushing her out of the way. Casey can't help but to stare as the turtle enters the car, cursing his luck that _of course_ the one not unconscious mutant has to be the one who should be taking anger management classes. The figure comes to a stop as he notices the motionless bodies on the floor.

"Actually," April says, sounding bleak, "I don't think he has."

"_What happened to them?_" the turtle in red calls, kneeling beside his kin, carefully checking them for any signs of life.

"I don't know," April whispers, hugging herself with her arms. "Some crazy guy in a van showed up and knocked them out somehow, but I couldn't see how from the roof…"

"He used a tranquilizer gun. I'm sure they'll be waking up soon."

The turtle's head snaps up at the sound of Casey's voice, staring at the boy, obviously flabbergasted. His expression quickly shifts to that of anger and suspicion. He stands, tries to stomp over to the driver's seat and nearly trips over his fallen brothers. Glowering, he stops and points an accusing finger at the boy.

"What's _he_ doing here?"

"For your information, I just saved the life of your friends." Casey smirks smugly, watching the turtle growl like a blood thirsty wolf.

"Yeah, because they would totally not have survived if you hadn't wrecked your bike, gotten beaten into the ground and then nearly shot." April crosses her arms and gives him a dry look, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. The terrapin snorts.

"April beat you up? Man, you really got to stop messing with people you don't stand a chance against. It must be humiliating getting battered all the time."

A low moan interrupts their conversation, and both Casey and April's heads snap toward the still open door.

"Oh shell," April swears, and Casey raises an eyebrow at her strange choice of words. "What are we still doing here? We should be heading back to the lair before that guy's reinforcement shows up! And now someone's out there." She twists her hands nervously. "Raph, close the door."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Raph says, looking a bit annoyed with himself. "There's someone I want you to meet." He glowers at Casey, a warning fire in his eyes. "And if you as much as look at her funny, knucklehead, I'll pound you so hard you don't remember your own name, get it?"

_Knucklehead? That stupid creature was just asking for it._

"Okay, you green… you green _frog._" He couldn't think of anything better, but the furious look on the turtle's face tells him it was insulting enough. "You threaten me? Why don't you come over here and _say it to my face_, and I'll show you what happens to people who –"

"Just shut it, both of you!" April glares at them, but mostly at him, and puts her hands on her hips. "Sheesh, what are you, five?" Casey slumps back in his chair, feeling betrayed. Raph keeps his eyes glued on him as he calls out to the person still on the street.

"Hey, girl, you going to stay out there all night? Get in here already." When nothing happens he finally stops staring at Casey and turns to the door. His face seems to fall slightly. "Are you okay? It isn't that bad, is it?"

A new moan is heard, and Raph jumps back out on the street, his eyes round with worry. April leans a little to the side, trying to catch a look of the mystery person without it being too obvious. Casey snorts, but stops himself as Raph returns inside the car supporting a girl he recognises all too well. She's no longer wearing the ski mask, but a black, several sizes too large hoodie still covers her torso and half of her tights, leaving the lover part of her legs and tail bare. Now that he isn't busy trying to cave her head in, he notices that her feet are bare, too, looking way too big to ever fit inside of a pair of shoes. And she's terribly pale, but it could just be the lights playing tricks on him.

The turtle gives him a murderous look. "I'm going to kill you for this, kid." The girl looks up, one arm draped over Raph's shoulder, the other hanging limp by her side. As she catches sight of Casey her eyes grow big.

"Casey?" she mumbles, voice quivering slightly. "What are you…" Her face grows still as she understands. "Oh. It was you."

He glares at her. "I don't know you, freak." Raph looks like he'd rip Casey's face off is he wasn't busy keeping the girl steady. April interrupts before the argument has a chance to grow into a full blown fist fight.

"I don't care who knows who." She grabs hold of the girl's arm, taking over while firmly shoving the turtle out of the way. "Raph, take the wheel. Casey, get back here and _behave._" Raph is looking stunned, mouth hanging open.

"No way I'm letting him anywhere near her," he finally spits.

"He doesn't know the way to the lair and I've already crashed this thing once tonight, so either you take the wheel or we aren't going anywhere."

"Well then throw him out!"

"I can't do that! There's insane people out there trying to kill us and he's got no way to get out of here!"

The two of them stare at each other, April with the girl still hanging over her shoulder, whimpering quietly, until Raph breaks away, grumbling under his breath.

"Fine, but if he tries anything…" He lets the warning be unsaid as he makes his way over to Casey, stepping over and around the other turtles.

The boy glares at him, arms crossed over his chest and jaw set, but the mutant simply grabs his collar and lifts him out of the chair. Casey yelps as he is dropped on the floor in a highly undignified manner.

"_Casey_._"_ He jumps as he hears April's voice, lowering the hand he had raised toward the turtle, who is busy powering up the car. She is staring at him as she carefully helps the girl to sit down, back against the wall. "Get back here or I'll do as Raph asked and throw you on the street. _And I'll keep your bike_." She's looking triumphantly at his mortified face. He glances at Raph once again, thinks about trying to live without his bike and then stomps back to the two girls, sitting down opposite them. The lizard is staring at him, face pale and her good hand clutching the injured arm. "What?" he snaps, seeing her recoil into the wall.

"You don't recognise me," she whispers, and then gasps as the car starts driving, clasping her arm even tighter.

"Of course I don't," he grumbles. "Never met you before."

Her face is an odd mixture of vast pain and sadness, mostly pain though, as she regards him. "You saw me. It's not even two days ago. I–" She wheezes for air as the car hits a bump in the road, blowing out air through clenched teeth and banging her head against the wall to refocus the pain on something other than her shoulder. "I was reading a physics book. You talked to the other girls about some party, and Irma convinced me to go. I'm regretting it pretty hard right now." She glances at him. "But you were there, right in front of me."

He stares at her, against his will remembering that precise moment she's talking about. Some girls chattering along on a bench, smiling happily as he and his friends approached them. The one on the far corner, deeply immersed in thick book and part of her face hidden behind a pink scarf tied around her neck, barely looked up as they talked, until Adam addressed her and forced her attention to him.

She was pale, with chestnut coloured hair, big brown eyes set wide apart and a round face with full lips. He remembered how her eyes darted back and forth, how her hands clutched tightly to the book, almost a little panicky from being dragged into the conversation. He remembered other times he had spotted her, always with a book or a notebook in her arms, always a little nervous looking, never doing anyone any harm. She is one of the people who don't fight, who only does good, one of those he wants to protect with his nightly escapades.

How come he suddenly remembered this random girl so clearly all of a sudden? She wasn't someone he spoke to, or even looked at, so how come she invaded his head like this?

The answer is simple; she is sitting right in front of him.

"Mona Lisa?" he asks incredulously, barely believing what is happening. She tries to smile, but it turns into a grimace.

"In the flesh."

He doesn't understand how he couldn't have seen it earlier; now that he knows her face is suddenly so horrifyingly familiar. The eyes are still the same, and although green her lips, cheeks and chin still have the same shape. Her hair still falls in those chestnut waves over her shoulders, still tied up with a pink ribbon.

What the _hell_ was she doing with the Purple Dragons?

"You two know each other?" April is looking back and forth between them, a bit perplexed.

"Not more than you and I do," Casey says, still staring at Mona. She has closed her eyes and has her head leaned back against the wall, whimpering slightly every time the car hits a bump in the road. "We go to the same school; that's all."

He wants to ask her how this happened, how she ended up like this, and part of him even wants to apologise for attacking her. She's not the kind of person who he must protect others from; she's among those he wants to keep safe.

_But she was still in that store_, he reminds himself. _You don't break into a jewelry store for good reasons._

Whatever this is all about, he doesn't like it.

* * *

Mona has nearly blacked out by the time they reach their destination. The world is blurred around her, edged with red, and a buzzing sound in her ears refuses to leave her alone. The pain intensifies with every second, keeping her awake and out of it at the same time.

The other boys started to awake shortly after Casey recognised her, and she pulled away, partly hiding behind the many controls and machines occupying the vehicle. They didn't notice her at first, busy trying to get back on their feet and falling over as the drugs in their systems made them lose their balance. She heard April explain what Casey was doing there, and how they exchanged information regarding the incidents that occurred after she left the jewelry. And then Raph, the only one whose name she knew, pointed out that she was there too, and that she was hurt.

All of their heads had snapped toward her, staring her down where she hid behind their stuff.

And now the one in purple is panicking over her while the car comes to a stop.

"That's an anterior dislocation, Leo!" he shrieks, practically falling over himself as he tries to get over to her on his still wobbly legs. "That's one of the most painful things that could ever happen to you!"

_You don't say_, she thinks, and hears someone yelling.

"I'm going to _kill_ you for this, you little _punk_…!"

The sound of shuffling feet, someone trying to scramble out of the way and someone else being held back, screaming with frustration. A new face zooms in above her, this one wearing blue. He looks concerned, brows knitted and hands fidgeting.

"Can you fix it, Don?"

"There could be torn tissue, or fractures, or bone fragments." Purple's panting heavily as he counts of the complications on his fingers. "Leo, that would require _surgery!_"

"We'll just have to hope it isn't that bad, then," the blue one says sternly, turning back to her. "Miss, we'll need to get you into our lair so we can fix you up, okay?" His face seems to swim in and out of focus in front of her, and all she manages to give him as a response is a low moan.

Raph, freed from his shackles and no longer trying to kill Casey, pushes the other two out of the way with a huge hand. "I'll take her. You can barely stand as it is."

Blue hesitates, but steps out of the way as the shorter turtle leans forward to pick her up. He doesn't stop watching them, though, clearly not fully trusting Raph with not dropping her.

"Get her to the sofa!" purple orders, leading the way out of the car. "I – I need to find my medics book. And someone needs to get her an icepack and–"

"Donnie, calm down. You can handle this."

"Yeah, bro, you're like a magician. But with, you know, _science._"

Mona hears them talk at the edge of her perception, but can't listen, can't focus on their conversation even though her health is on the line. She keeps her eyes closed, trying not to scream out loud as she is carried away. Raph is clearly trying to keep her steady, but the slight bumping is enough to send tendrils of burning pain through her arm, chest and shoulder.

"Don't worry," says voice from directly above her. "Donnie can fix this, he can fix _anything_." He sounds as if he believes fiercely in the skills of his friend, even though the purple one didn't quite seem to trust himself with the task.

"It r-really h-hurts," Mona mumbles, and feels Raph's grip tighten around her.

"He'll fix this," he repeats, voice steady. "He'll fix this."

Suddenly his arms vanish and she's lying on something soft, head leaned on a pillow and body shivering.

"_Donnie!_" Raph hollers. "Get over here _now_!"

Stumbling, running feet are heard, then a smack followed by a muffled "darn it."

"Don, get up and drag yourself over here or by the love of god I'll come over there and kick you up myself," Raph growls.

A low whimper escapes Mona, but she quickly subdues it, trying not to make poor purple turtle any more stressed out than he already is. She hears Raph jump next to her, and can feel him stare at her as she does her best to respire without letting cries of pain escape with every breath. Something touches her arm, hesitantly, and then hastily grasps her good hand. She flinches at first, but there is something reassuring to have something solid to cling to amidst all this pain and confusion. Her fingers curl around his hand, keeping him close. She can hear his breath hitch, but he doesn't pull away.

"Okay miss, I'm afraid this is going to hurt quite badly, I'm really sorry but it's the only way and I…"

"Just shut up and do it already, Donnie."

No one speaks, and for a moment all she can hear is the sound of the others breathing, all of them standing completely still, watching her. She hugs Raph's hand closer. Then careful fingers graze her wrist, and she braces herself, awaiting the pain.

And it _hurts hurts hurts_ and oh to hell with not making purple feel stressed. She opens her mouth and screams, twisting and squirming and trying with all her might to break free from her shackles. Somewhere at the edge of her perception she notices that powerful hands are keeping her down, pushing at her legs and chest. She doesn't care about them, just keeps screaming and thrashing about, wanting that pain to disappear more than she has ever wanted anything ever before.

_Crack._

She goes limp as the sound reverberates through her body, feeling very loud even though it was just barely audible.

"Oh," she says. "Oh. It's gone."

The last thing she hears before everything fades away is Raph's angry voice, his hand still clutching onto hers.

"Happy now, punk? Or do you maybe want to go out and put some more people through this?"

* * *

Casey is feeling a bit nauseous. Seeing someone screaming and squirming of utter torment, being aware of that the suffering was caused by you, will do that to a person.

He never meant to hurt Mona. She's not the kind of person he's after, not the kind of person he wants to punish. Damn it, why did she have to get involved with the Purple Dragons?

The red clad turtle, the one named Raph, is worriedly squeezing her hand while the one in blue, Leo, turns to the tallest of the four.

"She's okay, isn't she, Donnie? Is she supposed to black out like this?" He leans forward, anxiously darting his eyes between Donnie and the, for the moment, peaceful girl.

"She should be fine," the purple one says. "There didn't seem to be any fractures or internal bleeding, and the pain should be gone know that her shoulder is back in place, but…" He laces his fingers together and blinks several times. "I just don't know, Leo. I've never dealt with this kind of injury before."

"Boys, what is happening here?"

The five other youngsters flinch, but not as much as Casey. He swears as he sees the inhuman creature enter the room, and swiftly grabs for a weapon in his golf bag. His fingers close around the handle of a sword, and he quickly pulls it out, swinging it on front of himself with a clumsy motion.

It's a rat. An enormous, humanoid rat, walking on two legs, supported on a cane and talking like a human. This is getting a little to heavy for Casey.

The rodent spots him, and raises a white, furry eyebrow at the sight of the sword. "Leonardo, what is this human doing with your katana?" A second passes, and he seems to realize something. "What is he even doing in our home?" His voice is severe, not accepting any evasions, as he stares at the turtle.

"Sensei, he got involved in…" Leo suddenly stops explaining, hands searching for the swords on his back. He turns to Casey, an appalled look on his green face. "What _are_ you doing with my katana?"

"You dropped it when that guy took you," Casey says through clenched teeth. "I thought you might want it back, so I picked it up."

"Well give it to me!" Leo exclaims. "That is not a toy!"

Casey's face grows red. "I know that it's not a bloody _toy_," he growls. "But that thing…"

"That's our father, you meathead," Raph groans. "He's not going to eat you, who know where you have been." A disgusted look crosses his face. "On second thought, I don't want to know."

"Yeah, bro, nice first impression," Mikey says, nodding solemnly. "Even I could do better."

Casey hesitantly lowers the sword. "So, he's cool?" he inquires, glancing at the rat, shuddering to the bone. The thing is just pure _freaky_.

"I mean you no harm," the rat assures, regarding him closely.

"Unless you make him angry," Mikey adds gleefully. "'Cause then he'll totally kick your butt!"

"Michelangelo!" the ratman booms. "Silence!" The orange turtle covers on the floor, looking horrified.

"Sorry, Sensei," he mumbles.

_Sensei? Like, some kind of karate master?_

"Give me that." Leo is suddenly standing next to him, wrenching the sword from his hands and reaching out to pull the other one from his golf bag.

"Hey!" Donnie calls, noticing the wooden stick protruding from the bag. "That's my bo staff!"

"My sons, calm yourselves." They immediately quiets down, but keep glaring at Casey. "I wish to hear what has happened, and what these strangers are doing in our home."

The turtles do their best trying to explain, constantly interrupting each other to add details. Casey listens closely, eager to catch up on this mess he's somehow gotten himself involved in. There's something about mutagen, and the Kraang, and lots of other stuff that he doesn't even remotely recognise, and after a while he just gives up.

"So this is the boy you told me about last night, the one who attacked you?"

Casey is snapped back to reality when he realizes that the rat is staring at him, a stern look in its face.

"It is," Raph confirms, arms crossed over his plastron and a smirk on his face.

_Oh boy, this can't be good_.

"But he helped tonight," April suddenly adds. "I don't know if I would have managed to save the boys without him."

"That's true." He nods eagerly. _Please don't eat me_. "I'm totally on your side and everything."

"Wait," Mikey says, looking sincerely confused. "If you're on our side, the why did you hit Donnie with a bat?" Casey feels like banging his head against a wall.

"What is your name?" the rat all of a sudden demands.

"Casey, Casey Jones, ehm, _sir_." He adds the last part hesitantly, not knowing if it's required or not.

"Come with me, Casey Jones. I wish to speak to you." The rat turns to leave the room, expecting him to follow. Casey casts a desperate, helpless glance at the turtles. Raph sneers, drawing one of his fingers over his neck in a you're-_so_-dead motion. April gives him an encouraging look. Casey gulps as he follows the rat out of the living room.

* * *

"Do you want some tea, mr Jones?"

_This is so totally awkward._ "Err, no thanks, sir."

"Please, call me master Splinter."

_Master_ Splinter? In what world is that any better than sir? He forces out a smile. "Sure thing, master Splinter."

The rat sits down in front of him, pouring a cup of steaming tea. "Why do you wish to harm people, mr Jones?"

Casey knits his brows, not fully understanding the question. "I don't want to harm people," he says slowly. "I just want to make sure that there aren't creeps running around out there hurting innocents."

"And this girl, unconscious after experiencing worlds of pain, was not an innocent?" Splinter hitches a brow, carefully blowing at his tea before taking a sip. Casey looks away, feeling ashamed.

"She was a mistake," he confesses. "She's not really a Purple Dragon, she's not _bad,_ and she shouldn't have been there."

"How do you know that the Purple Dragons are, as you put it, _bad_?" The rat regards him over his teacup. It looks so utterly weird that Casey doesn't know whether he should laugh or cry out in fear.

"Of course they are bad!" he exclaims. "They are criminals!"

"Ah, and all criminals are bad?"

"Yes! No. Ugh, you know what I mean." Casey gestures with his hands, trying to wave the question away.

"Actually, I do not." Splinter takes another sip of his tea, careful not to get his whiskers wet. "It is illegal to attack other people. Does that make you bad?"

"I know I'm not good," Casey mutters, looking away. "Of course I'm not. But it's worth it. To help other people, I mean."

"Helping other people does not make you good?"

"Argh!" Casey falls forward, banging his forehead against the table. "What's the point of this? All I want is for them to stop hurting others."

"The point of this is for you to see that there is no clear line between good and evil." Splinter puts the cup down, giving Casey his full attention. "We all have good and evil inside of us, and we all do good and bad actions during our lives. Many of those whom you regard as 'bad' are in fact just misled, or confused, and do not deserve to be so severely punished."

"What do you know," Casey grumbles. "I don't care about them; it's their own bloody fault if they…"

"Silence!" Splinter bellows, making Casey recoil away from the table. The rat's face has grown stern. "I used to be human," he says, voice taut. "I used to have a family and a best friend. We were very close, but faulty actions and unfortunate events grew a feud between us, making me lose the love of my life and my baby daughter, as well as my friend." He falls silent, gazing into his teacup for a moment. Casey leans forward, against better judgement interested in the story. "Neither of us were evil, but we both made the wrong decisions, and it cost me my entire life." He looks back up, locking Casey's eyes with his unyielding gaze. "I do not believe you are _bad_, Casey Jones, but I do believe you have made some very bad decisions."

Casey succumbs under the rat's look, fidgeting with his hands on the table. "I know what I do isn't good, but after what they did to me…" He stops himself, realizing that he has said too much. The rat has a very human, sympathetic expression on his furry complexion.

"They hurt you once, and you want to stop them from doing the same to others?" he inquires.

"Yes," Casey whispers.

They sit in silences for a while, the only sound heard being Splinter finishing his tea.

"I do understand your anger and thirst for vengeance," Splinter finally says. "As well as I understand your compassion for others. But if you keep this up you will not only put yourself in danger, but also hurt the innocent, whether you mean to or not."

Casey refuses to meet the rat's eyes, thinking only about Mona lying unconscious on the sofa.

"You may stay here tonight. I will ask Donatello to repair your bike so you can return home in the morning."

Casey nods and leaves the kitchen without another word.

* * *

Donnie's heart is still pounding when he wakes the next morning, fists curling around his blanket at the fading nightmare. There was only screaming. That's all he remembers. Someone was screaming and it was his fault.

He shudders, slowly getting out of the bed and stretching his legs in front of him. It's cold in his room, and lonely, and he doesn't want to stay in there any longer than necessary. He's never really liked the tiny chamber, and only ever spent time there to sleep. The walls are of bare concrete, as is the floor, even if he's tried to cover it with a threadbare old rug he found many years ago. There are no windows (of course), the only light coming from a cold light bulb, and scarcely any personal belongings. During the years he has more and more moved into his lab, spending nearly all his spare time either there or with his brothers. It wasn't rare that he slept in there from time to time. It had always been his sanctuary.

But the lab doesn't feel safe any longer, not with Pulverizer in there, locked away in his jar and staring at anyone who dares enter. Donnie do fully understand why Raph didn't want the unfortunate mutant out in the lair, and it's only fair that he, the one who never managed to save the human, is the one who will have to suffer from it.

His sanctuary is gone, and he no longer has a place to go to when he wakes up early in the morning, head spinning with ideas and theories and calculations.

He sighs as he puts on his knee- and elbow pads, fixes his mask over his face and finally pushes open the folding door to his room. The corridor outside is cold and empty, just like his chamber, but as he passes the thin paper doors that covers the other openings and hears the breaths and snores of his brothers, the place suddenly feels a bit more inhabited. His feet slow down as he passes April's room, carefully glancing at the door.

He doesn't know if the others have noticed her having nightmares. She has never woken them at night with her screaming, like Mikey sometimes does when he has watched a horror movie, but Donnie still knows the dreams haunts her. Sometimes when he passes by late at night, having stayed up working on some project, he can hear her cry. The sound of her sniffing and sobbing quietly almost breaks his heart, but he doesn't want her thinking he's stalking her, so he leaves her alone.

She isn't crying know, though. He can hear the soft sound of her stirring in her bed and breathing into her pillow, thankfully calm. He pushes his feet into motion again, leaving his family to some well earned rest.

It feels strange to walk into the living room and see the mutant girl soundly asleep on the sofa. She's curled up on her side, knees pressed against her stomach and tail wrapped around her lower legs. The blanket that they covered her with last night has slipped down to her feet, and he notices that she's shivering slightly in the chilly air. He stops, carefully looking her over. Her shoulder is looking well, even if he can't see it too clearly through her black hoodie. He must examine her later, make sure that she is okay and not suffering from any other, hidden injuries.

He's not trying to pretend that part of the reason is pure curiosity, though. Apart from Pulverizer he's never had the chance to actually examine a human turned mutant, and Pulverizer wasn't precisely your average half-human-half-animal kind of creature. All of the others seemed to either die, vanish without a trace or try to kill them on a regular basis.

He wonder if she has an endothermic or exothermic system, if she is amphibian or reptilian, or if she can even re-grow her tail if it was somehow cut off. He's already proved that mutants heal quicker and are more durable than regular humans, but the actual healing properties seem to vary between individuals. He and his brothers are restored to health only a little faster than humans and seldom got any bruises, but Snakeweed could gain new limbs in a matter of seconds, not to mention that he somehow came back to life after being fried. Could this girl be any similar to that?

Head still firmly stuck in his train of thoughts, he absentmindedly pulls the blanket up over her, covering her from toes to neck. She mumbles in her sleep, pulling the cloth closer to herself and boring her face into the pillow. Donnie looks at her for another second before he heads over to his lab, bracing himself for Pulverizer's staring eye balls.

* * *

"Are you busy?"

Donnie jumps, at once emerging from his notes and calculations. _Graceful_, he thinks, _you're a freaking ninja and you didn't even notice someone sneaking up on you._ He turns around in his chair, seeing April standing in the doorway still dressed in her pyjamas.

"How long have you been watching me?" he asks warily.

"A while," she admits, walking into the lab with her hands behind her back. "You are very focused when you work. A bomb could have gone off and you wouldn't have noticed." She smiles at him and he feels his face grow red, quickly turning away so she won't see.

"So," he says, fidgeting with the papers on his workbench, all the while hearing her come closer. "What brings you here, April?"

"I couldn't sleep," she replies. "I could hear you in here all across the lair, and everyone else is out cold, so I figured I might keep you some company."

Donnie's blush deepens. He knows he has a tendency to be a little… carried away, so to speak, by his work. When something really interesting catches his attention he'll throw paper and notes all over the place, rummage for pens and rulers as if afraid they'll try and make a run for it, and mumble to himself. A lot. He practically has entire conversations without anyone else being present.

As April stops next to him, he can't help but fear she heard him ponder out loud about the lizard girl. What if she thinks he's into her? The though makes his stomach clench.

"So what's you working on?" She leans forward over his bench, curiously peering at his many notes.

"Ehm, err, nothing." He lunges at the papers, quickly pushing them into at messy pile and hiding them under some more harmless blueprints. "Just trying to fix some errors on the, eh…" He glances at the blueprint. "On the patrol buggie. Yes, that's right. The patrol buggie." He nods fervently, smiling at her.

"What's wrong with it?"

"The, err…" He rummages his brain, and raises a declarative finger. "The tyres are falling off! "

April glances at the vehicle, standing in the far corner of the room. "Looks perfectly fine to me."

"Of course it does! I've been here all morning fixing it!" He laughs nervously, interlacing his fingers with each other and freeing them again. April raises a brow, but drops the subject.

"If you say so. Hey Donnie, remember our conversation last night?" She smiles widely at him, seemingly excited. He knits his brows.

"Which one? 'Cause we have a lot of conversations and remembering everything isn't possible for someone who isn't – "

"The one involving _this_." Grinning, she brings her hands out from behind her back and holds something out to him. His eyes grow wide.

"Are those… _night vision goggles_?" He eagerly snatches them from her, turning them over in his hands examining them. "How did you get them?" he inquires, astonished.

"That man who attacked you was wearing them," April says, smiling at his enthusiasm. "I thought you might like them."

Donnie freezes, shuddering at the thought of April facing that maniac. He never got to see him fight (he was a bit embarrassed with how easily he was succumbed) but according to Leo the guy was unbelievably good.

"Imagine Shredder," the blue clad turtle had said the night before. "But armed with actual firearms as well as martial arts."

He casts a worried glance at April. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"He was unconscious, Donnie."

"Right." He clears his throat, directing his attention back to the object in his hands.

They are big and heavy, almost resembling a pair of small binoculars. As he turns them over, he notices something on the inside of the headband.

"Hey," he exclaims. "Something's written here!"

"Really?" April leans closer to him, her ponytail falling over her shoulder and brushing against his arm. "What does it say?"

He gulps. "It's a name, I think." Trying to ignore how near she's standing, how her heart beats at a slow and steady pace, he bends his head over the goggles. The text is tiny and precise, written by a strict hand in an authoritarian manner.

_Bishop_, it says.

Donnie stares at the text. Their new enemy has a name.

* * *

Mona awakens with a scream.

The figure kneeling in front of her jumps back, falling on its shell as it attempts to scramble away from her. Its eyes are wide as it whips its head around, searching for danger.

"What, what?" It raises its hands in front if its face and gets up. "Why are you screaming? Is the Kraang here? Where are they?"

Mona stares at it – _him_, she realizes – as she pulls herself into a sitting position with her knees pressed to her chest. He's so short, shorter than her, and he's got baby blue eyes, an orange mask and _freckles_.

He doesn't appear dangerous, even though he has pulled out his weapons – she recognises as them as nunchucks – and is ready to leap at his enemy at any second.

She suddenly understands that he doesn't seem threatening because his attack isn't aimed at her. He's trying to _protect_ her.

"No, no one's here," she whispers, and he lowers his weapons. "You just startled me, that's all."

"Oh, okay." He puts his nunchucks back in his belt, eyeing her closely. "Am I really that scary? You sounded as if someone was trying to ki–"

"What's happening?" Raph explodes into the room, closely followed by the turtle in blue. "I swear, if Casey tried anything I'm going to hit him so hard…"

"I'm right here, man." Casey comes stumbling after them, rubbing the sleepiness from his bloodshot eyes. "I haven't as much as looked at her."

"No-no, it wasn't him." The freckly turtle in front of her waves his hands disarmingly. "She sort of thought I was going to kill her, but it's fine now."

Raph stares at the smaller turtle for a moment before he draws his pointy stick like weapons and clomps over to the sofa, shoving one of them only inches from his friend's face.

"Did you make her scream like that?" he hisses. Orange squeaks and tries to leap out of the way, but Raph grabs onto the tails of his mask and yanks him back roughly. "_Did you_?"

"Bro, I'm sorry!" orange whines. "I was just curious; I didn't know she was going to freak out like that!"

"Of course she freaked!" Raph bellows, shaking orange's head back and forth. "Who _wouldn't_ freak if they woke up with a big, ugly, mutant _turtle_ in their face?"

"But she's a mutant too!" the poor guy tries to reason, and this actually seems to stop the commotion. All four of them stare at her, and orange's face falls a little. "No, I didn't mean that you're ugly or anything," he cries, head still stuck in the grip of the bigger turtle. "You look way better than most other mutants we've met. You should have seen this pigeon guy, he was seriously _gross_, and…"

"Leo, would you tell on me if I killed him?"

Blue considers the two turtles still locked together, a thoughtful look on his face. "As long as you don't hide the body in my room," he finally decides. "I'd suggest you put it in Donnie's lab; no one would suspect a thing among all those acidic chemicals."

"Hey!" orange exclaims. "No fair! I said I'm sorry!"

"Apology _not_ accepted."

"Oh good, you're awake."

Raph drops orange and Mona turns around, seeing the fourth and final turtle enter the room along with April. He's got a big smile on his face as he watches her, and an ominous looking box pressed against his plastron.

"I need to check your vitals, make sure everything's okay." Mona hesitates for a moment, and then nodes slowly. Purple's smile grows even bigger. "Great! I'll just…"

"Wait a second." Blue pushes his way past Raph and orange. "We still don't know anything about you." He smiles kindly at her, reaching out a hand. "And you don't know anything about us. I'm Leonardo, but please, call me Leo. They are Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo and April." He points at them in order as he lists up their names. "And you are?"

She takes his hand, seeing her own nearly vanish under his huge fingers, and opens her mouth to answer. Michelangelo beats her to it, though.

"Oh, oh!" he calls, excitedly bouncing up and down. "If you haven't got one, I could totally name you!" His face is one big, bright smile as he regards her. "How about _Geckogirl_? Why, you might ask? Because you're a girl, and you're a..."

"We get it!" Raph snaps.

"And I don't think she's a gecko, Mikey. The tail and colouring actually indicates she's a salamander."

"Something tells me this young lady already has name."

The turtles, as well as April, all flinch and bow their heads. Casey pales considerably and seems to shrink into the wall. Mona looks up to see something that can only be described as giant rat wearing a robe walk up to the sofa. She gulps, feeling the blood drain from her face.

"Sensei," Leo says, facing the creature. "Good morning." The rat smiles, whiskers twitching.

"Likewise, Leonardo." He turns his attention to Mona, he, too, reaching out a hand. "It is a pleasure meeting you, young lady. You may call me master Splinter."

She hesitates before she takes his hand. It's only marginally bigger than hers, almost hairless and sporting only four fingers, looking nearly human. As she touches it, she feels that the skin is warm and his grip firm, and realizes that there is nothing animalistic about this man, not any more than there is with her. She could just as well be shaking hands with a regular human.

If it wasn't for the brown fur, of course.

"I'm Mona Lisa," she says, smiling. "But call me Mona."

He returns her smile, and everything suddenly feels a lot safer. "Welcome to our home, Mona."

* * *

"So you have no place to go?"

"No." Mona looks down, hands fidgeting in her lap. "My parents are gone, and my guardians really aren't very fond of me."

She's kneeling inside the family's training facility, separated from the rest of the lair with thin paper folding screens. The floor is covered with soft, ornate mats and various kinds of weapons are hanging on the walls, some that she recognise and some that look completely foreign. The most bizarre part of the room, though, is a tree, seemingly growing straight out of the floor and reaching almost all the way to the ceiling. Splinter called the place a dojo, but the word, as well as the room itself, feels a little strange to her.

She notices the rat regarding her out of the corner of her eye. The rest of the odd family, along with Casey and April, are in the kitchen, leaving Mona and Splinter alone to talk. Apparently he spoke to Jones while Mona was out cold, and April seems to have known the mutants for quite some time, so there was only Mona left to face the head of the family.

She must admit: he is a bit intimidating. The eyes, although kind, are piercing, as if he can see every thought that crosses her mind. Something tells her that it is very hard to keep anything from this man.

"And is that why you sought refuge among the Purple Dragons?"

She cringes at his words, but nod. It's clear that the boys, though not as extreme as Casey, haven't got much sympathy for the street gang.

"I didn't know where to go," she whispers, eyes glued to the floor. "I swear I've never been involved with them before, but then I just came across one of them when I was still recovering, and she wanted to help me and I didn't know what else to do…" She falls silent, not knowing why she is telling Splinter this. Normally she's not the talk-about-your-feelings kind of girl, but there's something about him that makes her inner barriers come crumbling down. "I'm sorry," she breathes, hands curling into fists.

"There is no shame in admitting one's mistakes," Splinter reassures, and she looks up at him, a surprised expression spreading across her face. He smiles at her reaction. "You were scared and confused, thrown into a world you knew nothing about. No one is going to judge you for trying to survive."

She looks away, quickly blinking so the tears suddenly appearing in her eyes won't escape. This is eons from the kind of reaction her grandparents would have had if she had confessed a similar mistake to them.

"Thank you," she says. "This… it means a lot to me."

He smiles, pointy teeth showing between thin lips. "You are free to stay here, if you wish to do so."

Mona's eyes immediately snaps back to him, growing wide. Was he serious? He didn't appear to be the joking type, but this just didn't seem real. Why would he open up his home to her, a complete stranger, a freak, someone who had joined forces with his very enemies?

"Really?" she croaks. "You'd… really?"

"This place is already a sanctuary for six lost mutants and one lost girl. I will always welcome those in need." He regards her closely, no longer smiling but absolutely solemn. "And you seem to be very much in need, miss Mona Lisa."

The tears spring back to her eyes, making him a bit blurry in front of her. She does her best to blink them away and stay serious, but a smile is slowly creeping across her mouth.

"I very, very grateful," she manages to say, bowing her head the way she saw the others do earlier. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He cocks his head slightly to the side, nodding towards the paper screens. "You may want to join the others in the kitchen, I am sure they are jumping out of their skins waiting to hear what we have been talking about." His voice is dry as he says that, and Mona can't help but to smile.

* * *

The mysterious disappearance of Mona Lisa is all over the news.

Irma, being the one who dragged Mona to the party in the first place, is feeling terrible about it. She knew her friend wasn't particularly interested in the whole thing, and once there she just abandoned her to scout for cute boys. Mona vanished in the crowed and hasn't been seen since.

Well, except for that moron Adam. He and some girls claims that Mona was with them on a boat, and went to investigate something at some uncanny warehouse. Screams were heard, fighting people and gunfire were seen from a distance and Mona disappeared from the surface of the earth.

Irma doesn't know if she believes the story (what would Mona even be doing with Adam?) but so far, it's the only clue she's got. The police have interrogated several kids from the party, including Irma, but according to the papers no other leads have been discovered.

She's so not going to settle with that.

Mona is the third kid in less than a week to vanish from the same high school, and Irma can smell the scoop from miles away. Of course, she isn't the only one. It's practically the only thing everyone talks about. She wonders what Mona would have thought of all the attention, and decides she probably wouldn't have liked it. She always was a rather secluded girl.

Armed with a pen and a notebook, Irma headed out, fully prepared to solve this mystery once and for all, gaining all the glory and fame she deserves.

She's assuming the police have already interrogated all the suspicious people who they could think of to have anything with the case to do. Who's left? The suspicious people who _doesn't_ seem like they have anything with it to do!

Okay, so maybe not the best plan she's ever had, but she's a newbie at this, and besides, it was the only plan she could think of.

So now she's hitting ChinaTown, where she's heard April used to hang out a lot, searching for suspicious looking individuals. It's not going too well; she's in New York City, and every other person she bumps into has a tattoo, or an excessive amount of piercings, or clothes that has spikes all over them. Most of them just glare at her when she attempts to stop them, shoving pictures of Mona, April and Timothy up their faces.

Half the day passes, and she begins to tire of it. A few hours later and she's towing several shopping bags; pictures, notebook and pen packed into the bottom of one. It's already getting dark out, and most storeowners are busy closing up for the day. She stops some of them, asking if they know anything of the missing teens, but they politely say no and then, equally politely, tells her to leave them alone. She makes absolutely no progress until she runs into the guy with the dragon tattoo.

He's really tall, with black hair cut short and dark stubble covering his chin. An impressive dragon crawls up his left arm, and a just as notable bruise covers half his face. His rather good looking, in a rugged kind of way. Irma smirks to herself, deciding that he'll be the last suspicious looking person she'll bother today.

"Hey!" she calls, trudging up to him. "Mind if I ask you some questions?"

He glances at her and snorts. "Get lost, kid."

"I'm no kid," she states, hands on her hips and lips pouting. "I'm almost an adult, you know."

"Whatever." He glares at her, arms crossed over his chest and back leaned against the wall of a store. She wonders if he's actually waiting for someone, or just standing around trying to look cool. She doesn't want to admit it, but if that's what he's doing it's kind of working. "I'm not interested in your questions."

"But I just want to know if you've seen some people," she insists. "Some friends from my school have gone missing; April O'Neil, Timothy…"

"Listen, I said to get lo–" He suddenly stops talking, head snapping toward her. "Did you say April O'Neil?"

"Yeah." Irma smiles widely, pulling her shoulders back trying to look taller. "You seen her?"

He thoughtfully scratches his chin, eyeing her closely. "In fact, I might have. A redhead, about sixteen years old?"

Irma's face brightens even more. "That's definitely her!"

"Never heard of any Timothy, though. Who else are you looking for?"

"Her name's Mona Lisa. She vanished Friday night, during a party down at the docks. You know, I actually have a picture…" She starts digging around in her bags, but he interrupts her.

"That won't be necessary." As she looks up, she notices a slow smile creeping over his face. "I might actually be able to help you."

"Sweet!" She drops her bags back down, grinning at him. "I'm Irma, by the way." She fusses the bags around until she gets a hand free, and reaches it out toward him. He can't be older than nineteen, twenty tops, and she wants to make a mature impression. _He's so totally hot_. She forces herself not to giggle. He hesitantly reaches out, reluctantly taking her hand and shaking it.

"Fong."

* * *

**AN: It'll probably take some time before I manage to sit down and write again. Last week of school is coming up and I still have some essays that needs to be finished. But I'll try and be back as soon as possible!**

**All reviews are very appreciated. If you find any grammatical errors or faulty spelling, or if you think anyone is acting a little out of character (except for maybe Mona, since she was only in one single episode I decided to use my almighty writers powers and change her personality a little) feel free to say so and I'll try and fix it to the next chapter.**

**I'll try to put some more action into the next chapter, as well as some RaphxMona and a Mikey POV. Until then, I hope you like this chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'm so happy for the reviews and followers I've gotten, thank you guys! You're making a girl very happy!**

**Special tanks to Page-Mistress for giving me some splendid ideas regarding April, Bishop and Dimension X, big thanks fort that! I have a lot in store for those two, but you'll have to wait a little to find out just what.**

**So here is chapter 4. There is not as much action as I planned to put in it, but I decided some brotherly bonding between Raph and Casey was needed, as well as Mona thinking about her new situation. But I fixed a Mikey PoV! Don't know how well I nailed him, though, he's really hard to write...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or any of the other characters**

**Oh well, enough of me talking, over to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Breakfast, games and a night time outing**

Mikey has always wanted a little sister.

Not that there is anything wrong with his brothers; he loves his brothers, and as the youngest he doesn't complain about being taken cared of either, but sometimes he just wants… something more. He wants someone who looks up to him, someone whose eyes grows wide with wonder when he tells a story, someone whom he could teach his secret kata to and play tricks on his brother with.

He wants a little sister.

A baby brother would have been cool too, but there were already four boys in the house and a sister just seemed like more fun. She would admire him, and look up to him, and best of all; no one would ever suspect a little girl for the biggest pranks, and if she took care of them, _he _could get a super alibi and then they could laugh about it together afterwards. It was the perfect solution.

He likes April, no, he _loves_ April, and she is in a way the sister he has always wanted, but she's not a mutant. She's a human, and that's really cool and everything, but he wants a _mutant _sister, someone who can fully understand the concept of being part of this family, pros and cons.

So there is no way he is letting Mona Lisa go.

Granted, she is clearly not younger than him, and she doesn't seem like the type who pulls pranks, but he can teach her. They could be a mean duo; with the help of an unsuspecting, innocent girl he might even be able to catch Leo off guard. And he can still show her his secret kata, and make sure she learns all the tricks of being a ninja. He'll even make her like his cooking.

Waiting in the kitchen is driving him mad.

"What do you think they are talking about?" He fidgets with the T-phone in his hands, constantly turning it on and off.

"I don't know, Mikey," says Leo tiredly. "Probably how she ended up like this. Maybe he's telling her our story."

"No way!" He drops the phone on the table. "I wanted to tell her that! I would have made all the awesome sound effects and everything! '_This place is a place where you are not allowed to be in this place._'" He waves his fingers in front of his face for effect and imitates the whirring sound of Kraang bots, accompanied by their weird squeaky language.

Raph stares incredulously at him, dropping a bowl on the table with a loud bang and starting to pour milk and cereal into it. "You seriously memorised that?"

"You don't even remember you own phone number!" Donnie says accusingly. Mikey frowns at him.

"Well, who does? It's just a stupid series of random numbers anyway."

"It's not random, it's based on careful calculations regarding where you live and…"

"Donnie, you aren't seriously saying that the number to our T-phones are in the phone book, are you?" Leo is sounding appalled.

"What? Of course not!" Donnie stares at his older brother as if he just suggested they go up to the surface and say hello to first best human they meet (at second thought, Mikey kind of likes that idea). "I just meant numbers in general."

"But _ours_ are completely random?" Mikey insists.

"Well, yes, but…"

"_So what are we arguing about?_"

Donnie grinds his teeth. "Nothing, I'm just trying to explain…" Mikey rolls his eyes and starts picking with his T-phone, choosing between different games. No luck. He's already hit the high score on all of them. "_Are you even listening to me?" _Donnie shrieks.

Mikey drops his phone. "Mona!"

Everyone in the kitchen look up at once, noticing Mona who has just stepped into the room. She comes to a stop, one foot still lifted and face frozen in shock, as they all stare at her. Mikey decides to make her feel a bit more welcome and lunges up from the table. She yelps as he latches on to her, hands clasped over her shoulders and wide eyes staring into hers.

"So what did he tell you? What did you talk about? He didn't tell you all the details, did he?" Mona opens her mouth, but the only sound coming out is a confused _eh_. Mikey shakes her shoulders. "_What were you talking about?_"

"Okay, you big loudmouth." Raph detaches himself from his stool and stomps over to the pair, resolutely pulling a reluctant Mikey away from Mona.

"But I want to know!" the orange turtle wails, making Mona and Raph glance at each other.

"Before you have the time to ask," Raph says, dumping Mikey on a chair and holding him down with a big hand on his head. "Yes, he's always like this. You're not even safe when he sleeps."

"It's true," Donnie adds. "It's like he senses when someone wants some peace and quiet."

"If I can't talk to her can I at least make her something to eat?" Mikey asks, squirming under Raph's hand.

The older turtle raises an eye ridge at Mona. "You hungry?"

She hesitates before answering. "Breakfast would be great, if it's not too much trouble."

Mikey immediately slips free from his brother's grip, excitedly bouncing up and down in front of the girl. "What do you want? Scrambled eggs? Bacon? Oatmeal? Pizza? Hm?" He leans closer, face only inches from hers.

"Er." She backs off a step, eyes darting around the room until she notices Raph's bowl. "Just cereal would be nice, thank you." A brief smile crosses her mouth and Mikey grins back, doing a thumbs up.

"Can do!"

He dashes over to the cabinets, starting to dig through them in search for another bowl. In the corner of his eye he can see Mona sitting down at the corner of table, fingers nervously laced together.

"So," Donnie starts, glancing curiously at her. "What _did_ you talk about?"

"He asked me if I had anywhere to go, and generally just checked I was okay." She's staring at her thin hands, obviously hiding something. Mikey, bowl and spoon in hand, sets aim for the chair next to hers, but April beats him to it.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" she asks cautiously, leaning forward to catch sight of the mutant girl's face. She twitches, recoiling a little.

"I didn't," she admits. "But he… he offered me to stay. Here," she adds, as if it wasn't clear enough. Mikey's eyes widen.

"Really?" he cries, staring at her.

Mona glances at him, pulling up her shoulders and trying to look tough. "I'll leave if don't want me here," she says. "I don't mean to intrude or– "

"This is awesome!" Mikey, no longer able to contain himself, latches on to her once again, arms wrapped around her shoulders and bowl still in hand. "We're going to have a sister!"

"Hey!" April calls good-naturedly, eyes sparkling. "What about me?"

"We're going to have _two _sisters!" he cheers, all the more joyous.

This was just incredible. It was precisely what he had hoped for. It was the best thing since pizza!

"M-kee," Mona mumbles from under him. "'M can't mreathe!"

"Oh, sorry." He snickers as he pulls his arms away from her face, keeping one hand on her shoulder. "But this is just _so cool_!" She blinks at him, clearly a bit stunned.

"Hey, how's that breakfast going, knucklehead?" Raph says dryly from the other side of the table, sliding the package of cereal over to Mona.

They resort to eating, but without letting the conversation die down. Mona looks like she's been cornered by a pack of wild dogs, but Mikey, his brothers and April are insistent on making her feel more comfortable, asking her questions and telling her about themselves. The only one not participating in the chatter is Casey, leaning against the kitchen bench with his arms crossed across his chest and a grumpy expression on his face. Mikey ignores the sulking teenager, being too focused on explaining his and his family's connection with the Foot to Mona.

"So these Foot people, and the Purple Dragons, are you're enemies?" she says, trying to follow their explanation of how Splinter had ended up in New York and how the Shredder was constantly trying to get to them. Not that he would ever succeed, though. Mike and his brothers are just way out of his league. "And some crazy, vengeful man called the Shredder is their leader, and he wants to kill you?" She looks doubtfully at them, awaiting their response.

"Yep," Donnie complies, speaking with his mouth full of food. "Pretty much all he does involve our gruesome deaths."

"And he's got no honour," Leo adds, looking stern. "Lately his even started targeting April, just because he knows she's our friend."

"That's why I've had to move down here," April says sadly. "Topside just isn't safe anymore."

"I can't believe I almost joined them," Mona mumbles, poking her half eaten cereal with the spoon. "Living on the street would have been better."

"Aw, don't feel bad about it," Mikey consoles, putting a hand on her shoulder. She flinches, but doesn't pull away, and he grins widely at her tentative smile. "We got you out of there, didn't we?"

"Yeah, and I am really grateful for that." But her tone still sounds hesitant. Mikey furrows his brows, glancing at his brothers and April. They are all looking concerned, clearly picking up on the fact that Mona isn't telling them all that bothers her.

"Is something wrong?" April asks gently, making the lizard girl give her a surprised look.

"No, not really, I just…" She stops talking, fidgeting with her spoon. "I'm just worried about a friend of mine, that's all. She's sort of the one who got me into the Purple Dragon gang, and I think she's part of the Foot Clan too." Mikey lets go of her shoulder, giving her a shocked look.

"You're friends with one of them?" he exclaims. "Dude, that is _so_ not a good idea."

"I didn't know her before all this happened," Mona objects. "And I'm not a _dude._"

"Everyone's a dude," Mikey states solemnly. "Some just doesn't know it yet."

"Mikey, she's a _girl_," Donnie says, looking irritable.

"So? My point still stands," the orange turtle insists, but then stops to think about it, sort of understanding Donnie's argument. "Or, I guess she's a dudette, then." He smiles, proud of himself and the fact that he just out-smarted the local genius.

"_That's not even a word!_" Donnie groans, burrowing his head in his hands. Leo and Raph glance at each other, the second oldest brother rolling his eyes.

"Just ignore them," he says, leaning his elbows on the table so to get a little closer to Mona. "But knucklehead does have a point, weird as it may be." Mikey stares at his brother for a second before understanding who the knucklehead-part was meant for, and then for another second before figuring out it was an insult.

"Hey!" he calls, sucking in air and puffing his cheeks out, being promptly ignored by Raph.

"If she got herself involved with that kind of company she's only got herself to blame." He shrugs, still paying no attention to his baby brother, who is now waving his arms around impatiently.

Mikey doesn't like being ignored, especially when he's got something important to say. Well, at least he _had_ something important to say, something regarding Raph's intellect, but he can't seem to remember it any longer. _Doesn't mean he can pretend as if I'm not here unpunished, though_, Mikey thinks, a plan starting to take form in his head. He'd show Raph what happened to the one foolish enough to forget about the Mikester. He quietly slides of his chair, trying to look casual.

"But she wasn't all that bad!" Mona protests as he silently makes his way around the table and over to the fridge, innocently opening it and shoving its contents around. "She helped me out when I didn't have a clue what to do, and she didn't even know me."

"I understand this may sound a bit cruel," Leo says sympathetically. "But she was probably playing on your feelings, trying to gain a new mutant to their team. The Foot is known to be very… deceptive." Mikey glances back, seeing his oldest brother looking away with a guilty expression on his face. April puts her hand on top of his on the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"No," Mona insists. "Not Angel! She really cared abo–"

"Did you say _Angel_?" Casey suddenly exclaims, lunging himself away from the kitchen bench. The three older turtles barely react on his outburst, having kept an eye on him the entire time and being aware that he was listening, but Mikey nearly cracks the eggs he has just found in the fridge. He saves himself in the last second, though, carefully holding the white orbs in his hands. "Angel as in a cocky girl, piercings, purple hair, clothes with lots of studs and chains and stuff?" He stares intently on Mona, making her twist uncomfortably under his intense eyes.

"Hey, leave her alone, will you?" Raph threatens menacingly, glaring at the unwanted human. "You've got nothing to say to her."

"But that's her," Mona quakes, eyes wide. "Please, don't go after her! I know you don't like the Dragons, but she's a nice kid and–"

"She's my neighbour!" Casey calls out, looking utterly shocked and furious at the same time. The others quiet down, not quite sure on how to handle the human who has now started pacing back and forth in the tiny kitchen, swearing and muttering to himself. "Is she _insane_? I warned her about those people, told they'd be nothing but trouble!" He swears again and slams his fist into the wall. "Damn it!" Raph sneers, an evil look in his eyes.

"Mona, were anyone with you in that jewellery? Another Purple Dragon, perhaps?" Leo, understanding what his brother is doing, slowly shakes his head, eyes wide with fear. Mikey uses the distraction to push the door to the fridge closed, two eggs in his hands. They are normal eggs, not the exploding smoke bomb kind Donnie has started making. A smirk is spreading across his face as he notices that Raph is still completely distracted. Mona gives the red turtle a suspicious look and glances between him and Leo.

"There were," she says slowly. "Some guy named Fong, and…" She hesitates, mouth hanging open, before silently finishing her sentence. "And Angel."

Absolute quiet spreads through the kitchen, Casey looking dumbstruck. You could hear a pin drop to the floor. _Or, even better_, Mikey thinks,_ the sound of a raw egg smashing into Raph's head_. He weighs the projectiles in his hands, a wide grin creeping over his face. He's just started pulling his arm back when Casey explodes, once again nearly making the turtle drop the eggs.

_"That was Angel?"_ the human screams, looking just about ready to snaps someone's neck. _"That kid in the store?"_

"Yes," Mona whispers, her face rather pale.

"Oh god." Casey burrows his head in his hands, pulling at his dark hair and trembling all over. The family glances at each other, unsure of what to do. Mikey looks at the eggs in his hand before putting them back in the fridge with a sigh. He can get his brother later; now just isn't the time. Casey's head snaps back up. "I got to get her out of there," he states, heading out of the kitchen.

"Wait!" Leo lunges out of his chair and blocks the doorway. "Messing with the Purple Dragons is dangerous enough; now you're going to go after the _Foot_?" He stares at the human, disbelief in his eyes. "Didn't you hear anything we just said? They are extremely dangerous!"

"Well, they used to be," Raph adds, smirking. "Before they started recruiting people like Pulverizer." Leo glares at his brother.

"You're not helping."

"And his name's Timothy," Donnie interjects, looking upset. Raph just shrugs, a smirk still stuck on his face.

"I don't care," Casey growls. "They'll keep their dirty paws away from Angel if I so have to cut them off myself."

"I don't think you're the one to talk," Raph says casually. "Considering the fact that _you_ were the one who attacked her; not them, but you."

"He's got a point," Mikey agrees, letting out a quick yelp and hides behind his older brother when Casey roars and attempts to dive at them. Leo stops him easily, though, grabbing hold of his wrist and twisting the boy's arm into an arm lock on his back. Raph snorts, having not even flinched.

"Calm down," Leo orders the squirming human.

"Let me go!" Casey shouts, trying to pull loose but only succeeds in making the blue masked turtle hold him tighter. "I'm going out there and you can't stop me!"

"Technically, that wouldn't really be a problem," Donnie says, tapping his chin in a thoughtful manner. "There are seven of us, of witch six could easily hold you back, you're stuck underground with no clue on how to get up, _and_ your bike's still got a flat tyre." He smiles triumphantly, not noticing Monas hurt look at being excluded. Casey glares at him, but finally stops fighting. Waiting another second, just to make sure he won't try anything, Leo lets him go, still carefully blocking the door.

"You can't keep me down here, you know," Casey grumbles. "If I'm not back at the end of the day my mom will call the police, and I'd like to see you get out of _that_ mess." He glares defiantly at the turtles. Raph sneers.

"Firstly; the police wouldn't have the first clue on where to look for you, and secondly; _why_ would we want to keep you here?" He raises an eye ridge. "It's not like you're that great company, kid." Casey's face flushes red.

"_Stop calling me that_!" he hollers. "I'm obviously older than you!" Leo dashes forward, once again holding the boy back. Casey snarls, but quickly resigns. "I have to get her out of there," he insists, sounding pleading and threatening at the same time. "Who knows what they'll do to her!"

"They'll probably mutate her," Mikey ponders, a grin spreading over his face; maybe _this _girl would turn into a dragon! He suddenly notices how quiet it has become, and as he looks up he realizes that everyone in the room is staring at him, disbelief in their eyes.

"You just had to say that, didn't you?" April groans.

"What?" Mikey exclaims, feeling confused. "They did it to Pulverizer, and Shredder wanted an army, didn't he? He's probably trying to get hold of more mutagen as we speak." It seems perfectly logic to him.

"They'll mutate her?" Casey shrieks, turning to Mona with his arms waving indignantly through the air. "Is that what happened? They did this to you?" She jumps, startled by being suddenly drawn into the squabble.

"What? _No!_" She shakes her head fervently. "It was some kind of robots." She gestures her hands awkwardly, understanding how weird it must sound to Casey. Mikey decides to hop in and help her out.

"Not just robots," he clarifies. "_Alien_ robots from another dimension with brain thingies in their chests." Mona stares at him and Mikey grins widely, glad to have helped. Casey blinks, but quickly drops the subject.

"I'm getting her out of there, and that's that," he finishes, not accepting any objections.

"How about this," April coaxes. "We help you help her, and you stop running wild on the streets hurting people, okay?"

"Wait a sec!" Raph thunders. "Who said we want to help? If the girl is stupid enough to get into that shit, then she can get out of it herself."

"You helped me," Mona says cautiously, making Raph send her an exhausted look.

"That's different," he huffs. "You're one of us, whether you like it or not." Mona looks as if she doesn't know how to feel about that.

"If we don't help, Angel will end up as one of you, too," April tries to reason. "And Mona's got a point; you didn't leave her to fend for herself after she got involved with them." Raph shifts his eyes between the two girls, looking pained.

"I think it sounds like a plan," Leo says. "You in on it, Casey, or do we have to lock you in an enclosed room?" He raises an eye ridge, observing the boy as he grinds his teeth, fists clenched at his sides.

"Fine," he grumbles, glowering at the turtle in blue. "But I still want my bike back."

"I'll fix it, okay?" Donnie mutters. "Just give me minute."

"You've had the whole night!" Casey explodes. "How long can it take to change a tyre?" Donnie glares at the human.

"Why don't you do it yourself, then." He crosses his arms over his plastron and leans back, a smug smile on his face.

"Fine! I will!" Casey waves his arm for emphasis before pushing Leo out of the way and marching out of the kitchen. April glances at the still smiling turtle.

"You sure you want him messing around in your lab?" she says doubtfully. Donnie's expression begins to falter.

"Dude, I bet he'll find your explosives!" Mikey grins, rendering the genius turtle speechless and very, very pale.

"Maybe you should check on him," Leo suggests worriedly. Donnie nods before scrambling out of the room, nearly tripping over himself. Silence fills the lair for a moment, before a loud crash is heard, quickly followed by shouting and badly hidden threats.

"Maybe I'll just head over there and make sure Don doesn't mutilate him for touching his beloved wrench," Raph drawls and tramples toward the rising voices with a bit too much enthusiasm in his green eyes. Mikey is glad he's not the source of the ruckus.

"Well that was interesting," April states, making the remaining individuals nod quietly.

"So." Mona draws out the question, watching Mikey from the corner of her eyes. "Mind if I ask what you meant by robots from another dimension?"

"With brain thingies in their chests," Mikey clarifies for the second time that morning.

"Yeah," Mona says. "With brain thingies."

"In their chests."

Mona stares at him, lips pursed and hands folded in her lap. Mikey shrugs.

"I don't know much more about them," he admits, furrowing his brows as he tries to remember everything he's heard about the Kraang. The outer dimensional sea monster pops into his mind, making him grin. "They've got their own sea monster, and it's in love with Donnie's submarine." He giggles, barely hearing Leo groan from the other end of the kitchen.

"We don't really know what they want, or why they want it," April tries to explain. "But they have been here quite some time, being the one's who mutated the guys and Splinter fifteen years ago." Mona's eyes suddenly widen.

"You've been like this for so long?" she breathes, looking horrified. "Do you even remember anything from your human days?" Mikey stares at her, trying to grasp what she means.

"Oh," he says, once the revelation goes up for him. "You think we were human, like master Splinter?"

"Well, yeah," Mona says, a perplexed look on her face. "You mean you weren't?"

"Weird as it may be, we actually started out as turtles," Leo says, finally sitting down at the table now that the yelling from Donnie's lab has subsided.

"You were _turtles_?" Mona says, looking flabbergasted. "Like, real life, tiny, green _turtles_?"

"We even lived in an aquarium," Leo adds, smiling at her.

"And you were mutated by the same stuff that changed me?" She stops herself and stares at one of her hands with disbelieving eyes.

"Yeah, cool, isn't it?" Mikey grins, spreading his arms wide.

"I guess that could be discussed," she says softly, eyes still on her hand.

Mikey furrows his brows. Why is she looking so sad? Why wouldn't she want to be an awesome mutant? They were stronger, and faster, and looked way cooler than ordinary humans. He guessed he could have understood it if she had ended up like Pulverizer, all gooey and locked in a jar, but she was actually really pretty with those big brown eyes and wavy hair. And now she was with them, and they were totally cool, kick-butt ninjas. Why wasn't she happy?

Well, he could make her happy.

"Come on, Mona, I need to show you something." He excitedly grabs her wrist and pulls her out of the chair, effectively snapping her out of her melancholy state of mind.

"Wait, what?" She stumbles after him, trying to wrench her arm free. "But I still don't understand why –"

"Boring stuff can wait." He waves her worries away as he sweeps the cloth separating the kitchen from the rest of the lair aside, pulling her through the doorway. "You're going to love this!"

Mona twists back, sending Leo and April a slightly panicked look, but they both grin at her and give reassuring thumbs up. Mikey feels a pang of pride as he realizes they are fully prepared to leave him with the important task of cheering this girl up.

She's just going to _love_ the arcade games!

* * *

"I could have killed her," Casey whispers, pushing his eyes closed. "_Angel_. She's like my baby sister. _Shit_." He snivels, refusing to look at Raph.

They are both seated in the dojo, as to not to get bothered by the rest of the family spread throughout the lair. It literally took all of Raph's convincing skills to make Casey come with him there (meaning he stole Leo's technique, put the boy in an arm lock and threatened to snap his wrist unless he complied and left Donnie alone with his work) but the human has finally calmed down a notch. Now, instead of throwing insults and threats all over the place, he has resigned to slumping on the floor looking miserable. Raph doesn't know what alternative he finds the most annoying.

"You definitely could have," the he agrees cruelly. "Does that make you happy, kid?"

"_No_!" Casey bellows. "_That does not make me happy!_"

"Then you should stop beating people into the ground," Raph states, voice completely cold. But then a smirk crosses his face. "Or at least stop beating them once they're down." Casey glares at him.

"I can't just stop!" he announces. "Not when they're still out there, still hurting people!"

"You're out there hurting people," Raph counters, making the human grind his teeth.

"That's different. They deserve it, they brought it on themselves, they…" He trails off, not knowing how to express himself.

"They make you really, really angry?" Raph finally suggests, growing bored with the silence. "As in a wanting-to-crack-skulls kind of angry?" Casey glances at him, eyes gleaming.

"Yes."

The turtle snorts. "Been there, done that. You've got to start controlling your anger, or you'll end up hurting someone who doesn't deserve it." He cocks his head toward the living room, hearing the sound of Mona and Mikey playing on the arcade games. "In fact, I think you already have."

Casey hunches down on the floor, looking beaten. As Raph watches, the human leans his forehead at his knees, no longer willing to fight. "She saved her," he whispers, glancing up at the turtle. "Mona. When she realized Angel was hurt and couldn't fight, she told her to grab that other guy and get out of there. She sacrificed herself." He's sounding astounded, eyes glazed over and staring into the wall.

"And you thanked her bravery by dislocating her shoulder," Raph says dryly. He's still fuming inside over what this boy did to a fellow mutant. Casey flinches at the words, closing his eyes again.

"I was wrong," he mumbles. "What would have happened if you guys hadn't showed up?"

"You would have done the mistake of your life," Raph states. "And then you would have gone back out the next night, doing it again. The thing is, you'll never really know if the people you try to _kill_ actually deserve what they get." He shrugs. "Some of them are like Mona, others like Angel, just acting really stupid and everything."

"How do you guys tell the really bad ones from those who are just… _misled_?" Casey mumbles from his crouched position. Raph grimaces.

"We don't, but we use a little technique of Leo's called _mercy_." He shudders, still not liking having to admit that his brother had been right in that particular aspect.

"Really? Mercy? That's all you've got?" Casey gives him a doubtful glance. "That's a seriously lame advice."

"Yeah," the red clad turtle admits. "I know. But it actually works every now and then." He sends the boy a threatening look. "And don't you dare tell Leo I just said that!" Casey smirks.

"Whatever you say, big guy." Raph snarls, but lets the subject drop.

"So why are you really after the Purple Dragons?" he casually asks, ignoring the way Casey immediately tenses up. "'Cause there's no way you're running around trying to kill people just because you feel like it."

"What makes you think that?" Casey grumbles, clearly trying to avoid answering.

"Well, I might be overestimating you, but you don't seem stupid enough to hate people over nothing." Raph gives the boy an inquiring look, and as he immediately refuses to meet the turtle's eyes, takes it as an affirmation. "Thought so. What did they do to you, steal your allowance?" Casey quickly looks back up, a fire burning in his eyes.

"Even if they never did anything to me personally doesn't mean there aren't plenty of reasons to loathe them, and hating someone for what they did to someone else doesn't make me stupid."

"Okay, so what did they do to someone else, then?" Casey swears and Raph chuckles to himself. _Man this kid is easy to read._

A minute or so passes by during which Casey does nothing but grumble, fidget with his fingers and tries not to look at Raph.

"They burned down my father's store!" he finally spits out. "They wanted him to pay them for _protection_, and when he refused they burned the place down with him still inside it."

Raph doesn't feel like laughing any more. He had expected some silly story of kids bullying each other on the street, or a late night mugging, or maybe a beating. Nothing like this. Damn it, he wasn't the turtle to handle something like this. What do you say to someone whose father has been murdered? Where's April when you need her?

"I'm sorry," he mutters. "I didn't realize –"

"Just forget it," Casey snaps. "It's not like you could have done anything about it."

They sit in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to speak but both bursting with indignation. Raph, getting sick and tired of the whole uncomfortable situation, finally gives in.

"Revenge isn't going to fix things, you know. If you want to play vigilante you got to do it for another reason, or it'll end up eating you from the inside." Casey says nothing, just sits there and listens to Raph's boiling voice. It annoys the hell out of the red turtle. _What, too good to answer me?_ "You'll become a new Shredder, killing and mutilating and caring of nothing other than your precious _vengeance_, forgetting or ignoring everyt –"

"Will you shut up!" Casey screams. "Revenge is bad; I get it. Now just leave me alone or I'm going to do something I'll regret."

"You'll regret it because it'll render you stuck in a wheelchair for the coming year," Raph snorts.

"Just shut up," Casey snarls.

"You want to know what would be a good first step towards your new, lovely persona as a non murderer?" Casey bites his teeth together and scowls at the wall, ignoring the turtle. "Apologizing to Mona," Raph suggests, a blade hidden in his voice. "For, you know, _attacking her with a hockey stick_." Casey blushes, the scowl gone from his face.

"I don't think I can talk to her," he mumbles. "Did you see the way she looked at me? There's no way she'll ever trust me!" He groans and leans back at the wall, glaring at the ceiling as if it's the reason to all of his troubles. "Not that I can blame her."

_Oh please, stop feeling sorry for yourself_. Raph reaches out and gives the boy a push, sending him sprawling all of the training mats.

"Hey!" Casey shouts and indignantly gets up. "What did you do that for?"

Raph looks up at the human, who's now towering above him, with a bored expression. "You're being an idiot," he states. "You got yourself into this mess and now you'll get out of it, or I'll make damn sure you never get near Mona or our lair again."

"I don't care about your stupid lair."

"Your bike is in our stupid lair." A smirk stretches across Raph's face; he knows he has won.

"She won't listen to me!" Casey begs, making a last, desperate attempt to wriggle out of the situation. "Why _would_ she listen to me, after what I did to her? After what I did to Angel?"

"Try and explain to her," Raph suggests. "She seems like a rather understanding girl, and as long as you promise not to do it again I don't think she's the type to hold grudges."

"But…"

"Just quit your whining and do it."

Silence fills the dojo, Casey awkwardly scraping his foot against the mats. "Fine," he sighs. "But I'm telling you; she won't listen." Raph shrugs.

"I'd say this is just as important for you as it is to her. It'll help you put all of this behind you."

"Whatever."

Casey shoves his hands down his pockets, grumbles to himself and stomps out of the dojo. It takes Raph about two seconds to realize that it will be safer for everyone if he is nearby during the ordeal and heave himself off of the floor.

Well, maybe it won't be safer for Casey, but it sure will make him a whole lot happier. Raphael grins to himself as he heads towards the practice dummy in the living room.

* * *

Michelangelo is a very special person. Being around him is like standing in the centre of a hurricane, trapped in the chaos and so utterly shocked by his presence that you can't even think of trying to get away. Mona doesn't know if he is fun or just kind of scary. Nevertheless, he sure is cute.

She really would want some time to herself, to sit down and think and try to figure out what way her life is going. For all she know she might be headed straight into inter-dimensional war. Right now everything she is sure about is the fact that she is playing an arcade game with a giant, highly energetic turtle.

When Splinter offered her to stay here just an hour ago she didn't really think much of it. She had no place to go and he was happy to open up his home to her, and that was pretty much it. She was grateful and everything, but didn't really think about what she got herself into. After the conversation in the kitchen, though, the vastness of the decision started to hit her.

If she lives here, she'll be the turtles' ally, just like April, and that means she will become part of their battle for survival. The Shredder will target her the same way he has started targeting April, robot aliens are going to want to destroy her and, after what she heard about last night, some really freaky government guy is going to want to drug her and throw her in a van. And that's just the threats she is aware of; who knows what else is out there that the turtles haven't thought of to mention yet?

She has such a bright future ahead of her.

Is she really prepared to get into this? She could still leave, before the Shredder figures out that she is his enemy and sends those mutants after her to tear her apart. It's not like she has anywhere to go, but she could still find a way to make a living. Get her own lair, like the guys and Splinter, and hide away from people down there. All alone.

Even a person as anti-social as Mona has to admit that that is a rather depressing prospect.

"Oh yeah!" Mikey cheers. "I just _crushed_ your high score!"

"We'll just have to see about that," Mona puffs, cracking her knuckles before taking place in front of the game. Mikey hovers behind her, one hand on her shoulder as he leans forward to see how she's doing. She tenses a little and tries to ignore how uncomfortable she is with him being that close. The smallest turtle is clearly a very physical individual, so if she wants to stay here she'll have to get used to this.

_That's another thing I'll have to deal with_, Mona thinks, trying in vain to focus on the pinging game instead of her unsettling thoughts. _I am an only child, and damn awkward around people to top it off. _How was she supposed to handle suddenly living with six other people, four of them being teenage boys? As soon as they got past the initial shock of her being a mutant they'd start viewing her like all other males always had: a weird, boring geek with an unreasonable fondness for physics. They'd be sick and tired of her within a week, but too considerate to throw her out, and so she'd just end up being a nuisance in their lives.

Wouldn't living alone be better than that?

"You'll have to be faster," Mikey giggles, shaking her shoulder. "You just got your shell handed to you!"

"I don't have a shell," she reminds him, holding back a smirk. He certainly doesn't seem bored with her yet, and maybe if she avoids the subject of science he'll keep liking her. _One can always hope_, she thinks sorrowfully, watching his pondering face with an unconscious smile on her face.

"Well, your tail then," he finally says, suddenly giving her strange new limb a little too much attention. "That thing is seriously cool, dude. Er, dudette." He reaches out to poke the scaly, green skin on her tail, but Mona decides that she still has her limits, and pulls away.

"It's in the way a lot," she says, brows furrowing. "I can't even wear pants anymore."

Not that she hadn't tried. Before they left to meet the Purple Dragons she and Angel had attempted to mutilate a pair of Angel's old jeans, cutting a hole for Mona's tail. It hadn't worked out at all; the tail's base was simply too big, as wide as her hips, actually, and the pants pretty much fell apart when they tried to cut a hole that size. Instead she had settled on a hoodie several sizes too large, making it reach almost down to her knees. Not very practical, but better than walking around naked, and the only other alternative was the few skirts and dresses in Angel's wardrobe (and they were definitively out of the question since they either barely covered anything at all, or were too tight to move in).

Mikey makes a waving motion with his hand. "Pfft, pants are overrated. You don't see us wear any, do you?"

She blinks once, suddenly aware of that he is right; they really aren't wearing any clothes apart from their knee and elbow pads and the tape around their hands and feet. Or does the shell count as clothing? She snorts. Probably not. "I guess you don't," she states, and can't help but to get a bit curious. "Isn't it kind of awkward? I mean, not wearing anything."

"Nah, we are just perfect the way we are, no need to cover anything up." He blinks at her. "Besides, fabric feels really uncomfortable against scaly skin, you know. Haven't you considered ditching that shirt? It must be seriously itchy."

"Are you trying to get me naked?" she asks, ignoring the fact that it _is _terribly itchy. Mikey's face blushes a little, but his grin is relaxed.

"Maybe. Is that weird?"

"Definitely," she replies. "And kind of creepy."

Steps are heard entering the room, and both Mona and Mikey turn to see Casey dragging himself across the floor with an air of grumpy reluctance surrounding him. Mona tenses a little, and notices how Mikey subconsciously moves to block the space between her and the other human. Eyes finally lifted, Casey comes to a stop and stares awkwardly at the pair.

"Yeah?" Mikey crosses his arms and gives the boy a disapproving look. "What do you want?"

Casey at least has the decency to appear shameful at Mikey's harsh words, looking away and weighing from one foot to the other. "Could I speak with you, Mona?" he mutters, peering at her from the corner of his eyes. She gulps.

"Can't you talk here?"

She knows she is silly, and that it would be pure idiocy of him to attack her here, in the middle of the lair, but she still doesn't want to be left alone with him. He hesitates, glances at Mikey, and then sighs resignedly.

"Sure."

They all flinch as a muffled thud echoes across the living room; Raph has somehow escaped all of their notice and is now tormenting the poor practice dummy on the other side of the sofa. He doesn't seem to be paying any attention to the conversation, but his mere presence is making Casey even twitchier than before. He clears his throat.

"I just wanted to, you know, apologize."

She stares at him, speechless. He's apologizing? Well isn't that sweet.

He ruthlessly attacked her with a hockey stick, ignored her pleas for him to stop, dislocated her shoulder, nearly _killed_ her, and now he's _apologizing?_ Does he seriously think she'll just smile and say that _hey, it's cool bro, I totally understand why you assault helpless people on the street._

Okay, so she hadn't been on the street, and neither she, Angel or Fong could be considered helpless, but still.

He notices her empty stare and twists a little, despairingly glancing at Raph. _Oh, so that's it_. She doesn't know whether she should be flattered or insulted that the red masked turtle took the time to force Casey into apologizing to her. She decides on a little bit of both, but mostly she's just confused. Why did he even bother?

"I get that it was really stupid, and I'm sorry, and… and I won't do it any more." His face is tensed, mouth pulled into an unhappy grimace. "I was… wrong."

Mona doesn't want to believe him. How could he possibly have decided that beating people down into bloody piles of broken bones on the ground is wrong, when he so clearly had absolutely no problems with it last night? But still; she remembers his reaction in the kitchen when he realized that he had nearly killed Angel. Maybe that was enough to snap him out of his stupid frenzy? It seems to be too good to be true, but she decides to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"You are serious?" she asks sceptically. "No messing around?"

"Dead serious." He nods solemnly. "So, ehm, apology accepted?" He looks at her sheepishly, and she can barely keep the scowl from her face.

"I'll have to think about it." He droops a little, and she feels a pang of guilt for shooting him down like this; at least he's trying. "But thanks for the effort." He blinks, and then shakes his head.

"Whatever." He turns to stomp out of the room, but stops himself halfway to the door. "And, ehm, thanks. For protecting Angel. It was really… really brave." With that he glances at her, discovers her stunned look and hurries into the kitchen.

"That dude has some serious issues," Mikey states, staring after him. From the other end of the room, Raph gives a low chuckle.

* * *

The night is still young when Angel hits the streets along with the rest of the Foot. Her left ankle is horribly sore, and, even if she does her best to hide it, she's walking with a distinct limp. Knowing her luck, the team will probably run into those turtle things, or that crazy kid in a hockey mask. This just isn't the night for such an excursion and she knows it. If they get into trouble she won't stand a chance.

Oh well, she can always play dead.

And it's not like she could stay behind tonight, even if Xever had let her (he had even forced Fong back out to work earlier that night, and the poor guy had a bruise covering half his face and spent most of the day unconscious). With Mona still out there, Angel had no other choice than to head out and find her.

Angel hadn't liked leaving her behind, but she knew when to fight and when to follow an order. If she had stayed, all three of them would have been completely crushed, and now…

Oh please, let Mona be okay.

She is thankful that her team keep to street level tonight, but can still barely keep up with the others as they sneak from shadow to shadow. Panting, she limps after them, trying not to fall too far behind. Both Xever and Bradford are already keeping an extra close eye on her after the failure in the jewellery store, and if they think she is unable to hold up with the rest of the clan… well, she doesn't want to think about that.

One of the ninja suddenly comes to a stop in front of her, holding up a hand and peering towards the closest roof. Angel gratefully halts behind him, trying to wheeze for air as quietly as possible. The dark clad man turns a little, and she knows that he is glaring at her even if he has got a mask covering his face. Not much to do about it. She puts a hand over her mouth and hopes it will stifle some of the sound, and the ninja gives a snort before turning back to the roof. _Jerk_, she thinks, scowling at him.

A swift movement atop the building catches her attention, and she quickly squints her eyes, trying to pick out what's going on. Someone is leaping between the rooftops, heading downtown with swift agility and speed_. A turtle?_ she wonders. _But do they really split up like that?_

The ninja in charge does a subtle motion with his hand, sending them all moving again. Angel groans inwardly before taking off, keeping to the shadows and bracing herself every time her left foot hits the ground. They all stay out of sight as they stalk the jumping figure across town.

Angel's heart is speeding up, and not just because of the never-ending run. Could it be Mona up there? Did she somehow manage to escape that lunatic unscathed enough to go roof hopping? It seems unlikely, but Angel doesn't know who else it could be, regarding that it is too small to be any of the known free ranging mutants and not acrobatic enough to be part of the turtle clan. But if Mona is fine, then why would she head to the roofs in the middle of the night instead of just return to Foot headquarters?

Maybe she was worried that Bradford would actually use her for target practice for not completing the mission. Angel sure knows he wasn't happy seeing her drag Fong back, and since the leader of the excursion was out cold he took his disappointment out on her. She's still shivering a little, remembering his snarling grin and gleaming teeth only inches from her face. He never even asked about Mona.

Something hits the street with a thump in front of them. Four things. Angel slides to a stop and swears under her breath. Figures that this had to happen.

The turtle in orange bounces in front of his brothers, studying the frozen Foot team with furrowed brows.

"Hey!" he calls, making everyone jump a little. "Is anyone of you called Angel?"

His brothers groan, one of them slapping his palm against his forehead.

"Subtle, Mikey," the red one growls. "Very subtle."

Angel's breath has caught in her throat, and she stiffens all over. _They are looking for her? _This can't be good at all. She turns cold when she notices the one in blue observing her closely; he must have seen her flinch when her name was mentioned.

Correction: this _isn't_ good at all. This is very, very bad.

A small, barely visible motion with his fingers is enough for the Foot leader to send all of the ninja charging ahead, but Angel can sense a slight reluctance from them. They know this is a lost battle. She weighs from leg to leg; flinching as her left leg nearly gives in, and wonders what she should do. There is no way she'll be able to fight in the state she's in, but she doesn't really have a choice. Taking a deep breath, she plows forward, trying with all her might to ignore the pain in her ankle.

The turtles scatter, fanning out to be able to take down as many Foot soldiers as possible. The only one hesitating is their leader; the blue one.

"Watch the one in the back!" he calls. "I think it's her!"

Angel freezes in the middle of her attack, suddenly finding all the turtles, even some of the Foot, glancing at her. Even if she gets out of this alive she'll be in serious trouble; when this is reported to the Shredder he'll assume that she is somehow involved with those turtles. He'll shred _her_. She gulps, taking a step back.

The team is falling like bricks around her, and she realizes that it's time she beats it. There's no reason to play possum if they are looking for her, and she'll be pulverized if she attempts to fight them. Only one thing left to do, even if it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. She spins and runs as fast as she can.

Which, unfortunately, isn't very fast. She has barely gotten ten feet before one of the terrapins flips over her head and slides to a stop in front of her. She yelps, tries to turn back but only manages to bring herself to a stop when she's only a few inches away from him. By the time she's succeeded in turning around he's already reached out his wooden stick, effectively tripping her and sending her face first into the ground.

She groans as she pushes away from the asphalt, kicking with her feet to get back up. Before she has the chance to get on her feet something thwacks her on her back, not hard enough to hurt, but definitely enough to keep her down. She looks up, seeing two maroon eyes stare suspiciously down at her.

"Angel?" the turtle asks doubtfully, frowning at her.

She doesn't answer, just drops to the ground to get away from the stick and then quickly rolls to the side. As she heaves herself upright he reaches for her, but she pulls the knife from her pocket, flicks out the blade and waves it desperately at him.

"Really? A pocketknife? That's the best you got?"

She stumbles to the side as yet another turtle closes up on her, a sneer on his face and two sai in his hands. The knife shivers slightly in her grip as she shifts it between the two, trying to keep them both in front of her as she backs away.

"It'd be easier if you just drop that."

_This just isn't my night_. She twirls and lashes out with the knife at the third turtle, who has sneaked up behind her, but hits nothing but air. He has dropped to a split on the ground, blue mask tails flying through the air and one hand shooting up to whack the knife out of her hand. A gasp escapes her as her fingers go numb from the hit, and she lunges for her weapon lying fallen on the street a few feet away. But she doesn't get far; the turtle propels himself back up, using his momentum to sweep her legs out from under her and sending her straight back down, sprawling on her back.

Her head pounds, the feeling is returning to her hand along with quite a lot of pain, and her ankle hurts worse than ever. She makes an instant decision to try to play it smart, and pretends to have blacked out, going limp all over.

Someone pulls off her mask and she nearly breaks her cover, desperately wanting to reach out and snatch it back. She earned the mask, worked hard for it, and she doesn't want it in their filthy hands. And even worse: now they know her face. Even if she somehow manages to escape them they'll still know exactly who to look for.

_They already knew your name_, part of her reasons, _they probably knew about your appearance too. _

But still, losing the mask feels… degrading, somehow.

"Is it her?" one of them asks above her.

"Well, that weird guy _did_ mention purple hair."

"She's in the _purple_ dragons, Mikey. I bet there are lots of them with hair like this, and we don't want to bring the wrong one back to the lair."

Shit, they really were going to kidnap her.

"Ey, girl, wake up!" A hand clasps her shoulder, roughly shaking her. She wills herself not to shudder at the touch of those creepy three fingers and stay calm, feeling her head loll over the asphalt.

"Raph, stop that!" another one exclaims. "You're hurting her!"

"I barely even touched her!" the one with his hand on her shoulder snaps. "And what do you suggest we do? Wait 'til she wakes up to ask if she's the right one?"

"We'll just have to take our chances," a leader-like voice decides. "We've already stayed out in the open for too long." She can hear that he's getting twitchy; good, if he isn't focused she'll have a bigger chance to trick them and get away.

"If this is just some random Purple Dragon _you _explain to Sensei," someone huffs, and the hand is retrieved from her shoulder. "Donnie, do some good and pick her up."

She can't help but to tense slightly as hands slide under her back and knees; lifting her into the air as if she weighed nothing. Footsteps are heard as the others get moving, leaving her and her captor a little bit behind.

Well, this is probably as good as it's going to get.

She snaps her eyes open, catching the turtle by surprise as she sends one of her hands smacking into his face. He yelps and automatically drops her to clasp his hands over his now bleeding nose, and she plunges back down to earth. The air is pushed out of her lungs as her back smashes into the ground, but she allows herself no time to whine over possible injuries. As fast as she can she scrambles to her feet and start running.

Someone catches onto her wrist and roughly jerks her back, locking her arm in a painful position before she has the chance to lunge for him.

"Would you stop that? We're not going to hurt you." She can hear him grind his teeth, and knows very well that he'd have no problems hurting her.

"Let me go!" she screams, gasping for air as he twists her arm slightly.

"Stop that or it's going to hurt," he warns. She growls but keeps still.

They're surrounding her now, all of them staring at her with mixed feelings. She glares back and tries to lock intimidating instead of small and in a lot of pain.

"Angel?" the one directly in front of her timidly asks. He's got a blue mask covering his face and two katana strapped on his back, but a surprisingly childish aura about him. She snarls.

"What do you want with me? I'm not giving you anything; you'd have to kill me first!"

That's what they always say in movies, but as the words leave her mouth she groves unpleasantly cold. There's no way she'd be able to handle torture; humiliating as it may be, she knows she'd spill everything she knows all too soon. And she really doesn't want them to kill her either.

"As he said, we're not going to hurt you," the blue one ensures, sending a stern look to the turtle behind her. "We just need to, ehm…" He quiets down and glances at his brothers.

"We know someone who wants to meet you," the one in purple says. He tries to send her a smile, but it quickly falters when she gives him the nastiest scowl she's ever given anyone, that including her mother.

"Yeah, Mona's really worried about you."

Angel flinches as she hears her friend's name, feeling cold to the bone.

"What have you done to her?" She stares at the last one who spoke, the one who appears to be the youngest, and start fighting her restraints again. "_What have you done to her?_"

"I've told you to stop doing that." A twist of her wrist makes her gasp for air, but she doesn't stop fighting, using her free hand to try and reach her captors face. They crossed a line, and she's going to get them for it.

"We haven't done anything to her!" the purple one soothes. "Promise! We've just tried to help her!"

"Yeah, right," she snarls, feeling the fabric of a mask under her fingers. She grabs for it, hoping to find his eyes or at least pull his mask aside to blind him, but he grows tired with her attempts and forces both of her arms down in painful locks.

"There's no time for this." The leader is growing more and more jumpy with every second, and when the sound of tyres reaches them through the night he makes a decision. "Let's just get out of here, all right?" He turns to leave, the others following close.

"What? _No_!" Angel gasps as the turtle holding her resolutely flings her over his shoulder, holding her tightly in place with huge hands. "_Put me down_!"

She squirms, punches his shell and kicks his plastron, but he doesn't even flinch. Realizing that she's not getting out of this on her own, she pushes back all of her shame and screams for help as loud as she can. _That_ sure makes him jump under her.

"Shut up!" he hisses, starting to run. She bumps uncomfortably on his shoulder but doesn't let that stop her from keep shouting.

The last of her hopes are obliterated as a van – no, a _subway car_ – drives up in front of them. She twists in the turtles grip and stares disbelievingly at the unlikely vehicle. Its doors slide open with a familiar _ping_, and she is brought inside.

* * *

**AN: Any guesses who the mystery person on the roof was? **

**I did actually plan on letting Mikey play his joke on Raph, but decided it simply didn't fit into the scene, and I thought about rewriting the scene about clothes so it took place between Mona and Raph, but then figured it was way cuter with Mikey. I also planned on a conversation between Donnie and Mona, but the chapter was just growing to darn long. I'll try to put it into the next one.**

**And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Bishop or Irma, they'll be back soon, hopefully by the next chapter or so. **

**As always: I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story, whether it's constructive criticism or just pure love.**


	5. Chapter 5: Suspicion

**A/N: Hi, I'm back with a new chapter! I've finally finished yet another year of school, so know I've got a couple of months off to do whatever I want, which means more time to write, yeey!**

**Thanks for all the kind reviews, you guys make my day (seriously, without you I would never find the energy to keep writing on this thing, thank you!). Once again, special thanks to Page-Mistress for some great ideas regarding Bishop and April's involvement with Dimension X. I have started giving a few leads for that in this chapter, so keep your eyes open.**

**This time Irma gets in way over her head, April loses her temper and Donnie gets to treat a very reluctant patient. And Karai makes her first appearance, as well as the strange roof-hopper from the previous chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

* * *

Irma has never been the one to judge others for their appearance. She once had a boyfriend with hair longer than hers, and has befriended people who more resemble splotches of colour than actual humans. Her own clothes have always been on the odd side, mixing between slightly geeky (to match her square glasses) and hippie-like colourfulness. She likes colours, and she likes the awkward geekyness, and she thoroughly enjoys the attention it gives her whenever she's around people. With her bubbly personality, getting friends has never been an issue, no matter how weird she looks.

But even Irma is taken aback when she meets Karai. It's not the girl's strange armour-like clothes, or her piercings, or even her bizarre hairstyle (black on the top and blond on the bottom, cut in a style that resembles a helmet) that scares Irma, though. Something about her very presence is terrifying, and the way she looks at her with a mix of boredom and intimidation gives her goosebumps.

Fong brought her here, said that he knew someone who would like to meet her. She had tried to push him into telling her everything he knew himself, but he stubbornly claimed that if she wanted information she'd just have to come along. It was a bit suspicious, she had to admit that, but she had always been a trusting person and didn't want to lose her first, and possibly last, chance to find out anything about the disappearances. Besides, he had walked gingerly and with a distinct limp, so there'd be no problem for her to outrun him if he tried anything.

Of course, her chances got quickly diminished when he was no longer the only one around, and the doors behind her slammed shut with an ominous _boom_.

"How do you know April O'Neil?"

The girl who presented herself as Karai is slowly circling Irma with a wicked looking blade in one hand, inspecting it while walking. It looks sharp enough to split a hair.

"We don't really know each other very well," Irma says, trying not to show how bothered she is by Karai's pacing. She feels as if she's being targeted by a hungry shark. "We go to the same school and have done some group projects together for different classes, that's all."

Karai stops a few feet away from her and casually points the tip of her knife towards Irma's face. "And why would you go through all this trouble to find someone you barely know?"

Trying to be friendly and make the hostile girl let her guard down, Irma beams a smile at her. "Why wouldn't I try to find her? She's a nice girl." She starts walking around the knife to get closer to Karai, but the girl quickly snaps her blade to the side, stopping it only inches from Irma's left eye. She hops back and smiles nervously. "Besides, she's not the only one who's disappeared lately. There's Timothy, and my friend Mona Lisa, and oh I'm really worried about Mona and have you maybe seen her 'cause Fong said…"

"How much have you told her?" Karai interrupts Irma's ramble, turning to Fong. The man is standing in the other end of the dark room, leaning against a shelf jam-packed with all kinds of things; cell phones, wallets, watches, jewellery, handbags and even the odd laptop. Brows furrowing, Irma suddenly realizes that the whole room is filled with things that look slightly out-of-place, like unopened boxes containing computers or TVs, stereos, games and other varying electronics accompanied by even more scattered wallets, cell phones and the likes.

This couldn't possibly be… no, of course it isn't. But all those things look an awful lot like stolen goods.

Well, she _had_ picked Fong specifically because he appeared suspicious, so she guesses she has only herself to blame. _Okay Irma, _she thinks to herself as Fong looks up and arrogantly meets Karai's eyes, _just play it cool and you won't just get out of this alive, but with a whole lot of information._ She is in the middle of a criminal hideout, and she is digging for intel regarding missing people, and this Karai clearly knows something. She just needs to find a way to make her spill, and then she'd have things on the clear. This is great!

"I haven't told her a thing," Fong says, crossing his bruised arms. "Said she'd have to see you if she wanted to know anything."

"Well, I guess you aren't completely useless," Karai drawls and turns back to Irma. "You know nothing of the turtles?"

Irma scrunches up her face in confusion. "What turtles?" she asks, and then helpfully adds: "I have a cat." Karai groans.

"This girl is a waste of time."

"Wait a sec." Fong takes a stumbling step away from the bench, nearly making a pile of handbags fall down on the floor. "You said you know Mona Lisa. How?"

"She's my friend," Irma replies, still puzzled by what's going on. Why do they ask her questions when she is the one who came here to get answers? "And she vanished two nights ago down at the docks. Seriously, have you seen her or not?" When he only answers by turning away and thoughtfully rubbing his chin, she indignantly puffs out air and starts towards him. "Hey! You said you could he–"

Her angry harangue is brought to an abrupt end when something yanks her back, nearly sending her sprawling on the floor. She gives Karai a surprised look; the girl's arms appear way to skinny to pull her back with so much force, but her free hand is nonetheless wrapped around the handle of one of Irma's shopping bags. She's glaring at Irma, the red make-up around her eyes looking like menacing flames of fire.

"You're not in a position of asking questions," she hisses, tugging once more at the bag before letting go. "Now be quiet."

_How dare she._ Irma fists her hands and glowers at the girl. "Who do you think you are?" she shrieks. "Dictating around like some kind of –"

Her voice ends in a high-pitched squeak when the tip of Karai's blade suddenly pushes against her throat.

"I said be quiet," she grumbles, looking irritable as she turns back to Fong, knife never wavering in her grip. "Wasn't that new girl in your team called Mona?"

"Yeah." Fong turns back, suspiciously eyeing Irma. "I don't how long she'd been like that, though. Could just as well have been any other freak, but I would want to find her nevertheless. She was surprisingly useful."

"Unlike you," Karai mumbles, looking deep in thought.

Irma is about to explode from all the questions crowding her head. What team? Soccer? Baseball? And what did he mean with _'been like that'_? Was she hurt, or did she act even weirder than usual? Dammit, couldn't he just say what she had looked like so that Irma could figure out if they were even talking about the same Mona. The knife at her throat is scarcely enough to keep the questions from bursting out of her.

"She doesn't know anything that is of use for us," Karai thinks aloud. "But she _is_ an acquaintance of April O'Neil, which means the turtles will have no choice but to try to keep her safe."

This was getting scary; the armed girl was obviously insane (why else would she keep rambling of _turtles _of all things?) and Irma didn't like the way she spoke of her, as if she was nothing but a means for this girl to reach her goal. Those things are bad enough, but is even worse is that neither of them seem to have the slightest plan of giving her the information she came for.

_Okay Irma, time to scram._ She clears her throat.

"Eh, guys, I really have to go now." She flashes a smile and attempts to step back and away from Karai and her worrisome knife. "But thanks for all your… ehm… _help_."

"Actually, I think you'll be staying." A slow grin creeps over the other girl's face when she notices Irma's discomfort as she presses the blade closer to her throat. "Fong, put her somewhere safe. I'll report back to my father before any further actions are taken." She sends him a stern look. "Is that understood?" He nods, not saying a word, and picks something up from his back pocket.

_Holy smoke that's a gun_.

Irma's eyes widen and her bottom lip starts to tremble. This is so not fair, not when she has so much to live for! She's supposed to become a reporter, or a journalist, or possibly a photographer. The big papers will be begging for her assistance when she starts digging out the juiciest stories, throwing money at her just to get her on their staff. But she won't oblige, oh no, she'll be one of those rebel freelancers, never staying at one place for too long, travelling the world in search for scoops. She'll interview celebrities and do documentaries and snoop out mob bosses, she'll seduce the owners of the newspapers and the magazines and participate in the most famous talk shows on TV. Everything's planned out, every minute part of her future life.

Dying her first time on the field would completely ruin all her plans.

"No no," she says with a nervous laugh. "No safe-putting. It would be stupid, and not thought through, and stupid!" She's about to nod fervently, but then remembers the knife at her neck and gulps.

"We could put you somewhere less safe, if you'd like that," Karai counters with a bored voice. "We have an aquarium back home with a very interesting fish. Has the biggest teeth I've ever seen. Perhaps that would suit you better?" She raises an eyebrow and Irma giggles anxiously.

"Oh, I'm not really much for fish," she quakes.

"Good for you, 'cause we have some really nice closets right here." Whatever smile there was on Karai's face is gone now, and she gestures to Fong to take over. Irma flinches when the barrel of his gun presses into her back.

"Move."

* * *

April can't focus. Every time she brings her feet forward they are a little out of balance, making her blows end up just to the side of where she wants them. She snarls, clenches her fists harder and pounces, putting more ferocity behind the move in an attempt to get it right. But the extra power sends her too far, making her left foot land crookedly on the training mats. She rights herself with a yelp, just barely saving herself from spraining it. Cursing under her breath she starts to seriously consider just go hit the practice dummy or do push-ups like Raph always does when he's upset.

No matter how many times the guys go out at night she just can't keep her worry at bay, and after facing Karai herself and finding out how scarily _good_ that girl actually is, well, let's just say it hasn't gotten any easier.

_I shouldn't worry like this,_ she thinks, widening her stance and raising her hands to try the kata again. They have done this hundreds of times before, and she knows that the Purple Dragons, and recently also the Foot Clan, is a cakewalk for them. As long as Shredder stays away, and Karai, and Dogpound, and Fishface, not to mention that scary guy in the van. _Stop this_, she scolds herself. _They've got this, okay? Now just focus._ She pulls in a deep breath through her nose and releases it slowly, feeling her tensed muscles relax.

"What are you doing?"

It surprises April that she doesn't hit her head in the ceiling, considering how high she jumps at hearing the voice. She whirls around and discovers Casey in the doorway, staring at her with a slightly apologetic look on his face. He must have called his mother and said he'd be gone another night. Either that or his threat from earlier that day, the one about her calling the police if he wasn't home in time, is coming true as they speak. April really hopes he wasn't stupid enough to forget about his family; the police scouring the city for him is _not_ what they need right now.

"What are _you_ doing?" she growls, flinching at the sound of her own voice. Yep, Raph is definitely rubbing off on her.

"I was just, you know, checking on you," he says and glances around in the dojo, eyes gleaming a little when he notices all the weapons.

"I need no '_checking_'," she grumbles, turning her back to him.

Part of her knows she's being mean, but she just can't help it. Normally she'd have a hard time dealing with someone at a moment like this, but that someone being a big, insensitive oaf like him doesn't make it any better. And, as if the world isn't cruel enough as it is, this particular oaf attacked Mona with a hockey stick last night.

She can't grasp how the rest of them have just forgiven him. Okay, so she was the one who brought him to the lair, but that was _before _she knew he had done something like that. She thought he was just another street punk who suddenly had a moral crisis, not a wannabe-_murderer._ There's no way she'll just accept the fact that he gravely injured Mona (as well as his _neighbour)_ no matter how many times he says he's sorry. It's not like it was a freaking accident; he did it in cold blood. She starts up her kata again, ignoring him where he stands awkwardly at the door.

But his staring is distracting. She sighs and drops her hands to her sides before turning back to him.

"What do you want?"

"I just, you know…" Flinging his arms aside he finally abandons all subtlety. "How did you get involved with these… _people?_ You don't look like you run around on the streets at night getting in trouble." She raises a brow and he sighs exasperatedly. "But apparently you do. Sorry I asked."

"I didn't do that up until quite recently, and I still mostly don't come with them since I'm just learning how to defend myself." Why is she telling him this? He has no right to know anything about her. She turns away again and tries to remember what she was doing before he got there. Right, she nearly broke her ankle.

"Want someone to train with?"

_He really can't take a hint, can he?_ She glares at him over her shoulder. "No." _Go away._

"Aw, come on." He flashes a grin and locks his hands behind his neck. "I'm a pretty good fighter, if I dare say so myself." The corners of April's mouth twitch a little.

"Are you now? I didn't notice." His face goes red and she does something half between a laugh and a snort.

"You know what, I want a rematch," he says, looking offended. "The first time wasn't fair; you took me by surprise."

"I screamed the loudest I could," she counters. "I wouldn't call that surprise."

"I didn't know you were a martial artist."

"I didn't know you were a crazy vigilante."

"Oh come on," he begs. "Give me a chance to restore my manly pride!"

She thinks about it for a second. Splinter probably wouldn't like it, and neither would Leo, but Raph would appreciate someone teaching this guy a lesson, and she has a feeling Don and Mikey won't have any objections either. Besides, she'd love to kick his butt after what he did, and she already knows she can take him. She turns back to him, trying to hide her smile.

"Fine. But don't cry when I beat you."

"I don't think that'll be a problem." He grins as he casually walks up to her, hands in his pockets and strides confident. April studies him closely, but without letting it be too obvious that she's sizing him up.

She can't deny that he is much bigger than her. He's at least head taller and has arms more than twice the size of hers, and she can see muscles bulging under his clothes. As she slips into a fighting stance she tries to calculate her chances. He will have a longer reach, and he is stronger and more durable, but she can still spot several things in her advantage.

His dark, almost kind of bluish, hair reaches almost all the way down to his shoulders. She can use that; Splinter's taught her to always put up her hair before training, not just so it won't get in the way, but also so no opponents can easily grab it and use it in her disadvantage. No one's obviously told Casey that, and he flicks is head absentmindedly to get the it out of his face. His nose has a dark bruise covering it from her punch the night before; another weak spot she can aim for to send him reeling. And his feet are a little too close, angled in the wrong direction; it won't take much to push him out of balance. She smirks; this is going to be _fun_.

She lets him make the first move, waits for his recklessness and impatience to take over. It doesn't take long; he leaps at her and aims a punch at her solar plexus. She quickly slips to the side and tries to elbow him in the stomach, but he catches on faster than she thought and blocks it, pushing her away with enough force to send her stumbling over the training mats. An angry growl escapes her as she lunges at him, feinting a blow to his head and following up with a kick when he isn't paying attention. He notices it in the last second and twists around, causing her to just faintly grasp his chest instead of knocking him down. His hands grab for her ankle, but she drops down and out of his reach, rolling over the floor and getting up a few feet away. He smiles at her, hands still protectively raised in front of his face.

"Not as easy when I'm expecting you, huh?"

She snarls at him and starts walking in a slow circle, searching for openings. He hesitates for a second before following suit, making them look like a strange, spinning wheel, mirroring each others movements perfectly.

"You know, there's something I've been wondering," he says, and she immediately takes the opportunity and pounces at him, sweeping her leg to knock out his feet from under him. The training mats dampens his fall, giving him enough of an advantage to roll aside before her fist makes contact with his jaw. "Could it be so," he pants as he flings a punch at her upper arm, never shutting up. Her hand blocks the hit almost reflexively (muscle memory, that's what Don calls it) and she grinds her teeth, annoyed by his stubborn voice. "That you dad's disappearance has something to do with you being here?"

April comes to a stop, thoughts reeling through her mind like a crazed whirlwind. _How could he_… Something smacks her stomach and the air goes wheezing out of her as she stumbles back. A terrified expression crosses Casey's face.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry April! I didn't think you'd…"

Her right foot making contact with his chest cuts him off, and he staggers back, coughing and gagging.

"Don't distract me," she says coldly, infuriated at being fooled by her own trick. So he had made a conclusion; that was no reason for her to be brought out of balance.

"I was just trying to converse," he gasps, still pulling away from her. Her own stomach is hurting and every breath makes her muscles cramp up, but she pushes her discomfort aside and glares at him.

"This isn't a conversation."

"We're talking," he points out, making her groan. "But I was right, wasn't I?" he carefully asks as they start circling each other again. "It has something to do with your father?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" she shouts, flinging herself desperately at him, sending several punches that he easily blocks and dodges. _Focus, April_. She scowls, rolls under his kicking leg and takes a few deep breaths. _If you let your anger take over you won't be able to fight properly. Breathe, focus and find an opening_. Turning back, she tries to remember all of her training. _You can do this._

She starts walking closer, but without showing off any clear motives. Slightly nervous at not being able to interpret her action, Casey steps back, staring at her through narrowed eyes. By the time he decides what to do, she's only inches away from him. His hand shots out, aiming for her jaw, and she easily catches it and twists his wrist. He yelps and stumbles towards her to relief his arm of the pain, giving her the perfect opportunity to knee him in the stomach. He gasps and reels back, but she gives him no time to catch his breath, lifting her leg for a final kick. It catches him on the thigh and his leg buckles from under him, but just as she is about to finish the battle he counters by throwing himself over her.

She wasn't prepared for that. ninjitsu is about grace and precise lethalness, not this kind of clumsy last-resort attacks. She gasps as he crashes into her, tries to grab his arms to perform a throw but isn't fast enough. They both land on the training mass, limbs tangled into a mass and hair all over the place. She freezes as he tries to free himself from her arms and legs, feels him being all to close.

He finally gets loose and starts pulling back up, but then stops himself, standing on all four on top of her. "Sorry." An embarrassed grin. "That wasn't really a very nice move, was it?" April purses her lips.

"It certainly wasn't." She starts crawling out from under him, but he puts a hand on her shoulder. Annoyed, she looks up, and notices that his grin has been replaced by an expression of sad compassion.

"And I'm sorry about your dad. I really shouldn't have…"

"Yeah, you shouldn't have." She flicks his hand aside and keeps squirming, and he finally gets the picture and pulls away.

Of course that's when Donnie enters, seeing them separate on the floor, clothes skewed and hair pointing in all kinds of crazy ways. His mouth hangs open and April can feel her face turn a bright red, probably matching her hair quite well.

"Oh," Casey says. "Hi, turtle."

"I'm Donnie," Donnie squeaks, turning a little red himself. "What are you two _doing_?" He gestures at them, looking terribly betrayed. April can't help but to feel a little sorry for him.

"We were just training," she assures him, sending Casey a lethal look. "And meathead here cheated."

"I don't know the rules of ninja fighting!" he complains and gets up, gesturing at her and Donnie. "Why can't you just, you know, _fight_? It's way easier." A dark expression crosses Donnie's face.

"Ninjutsu is more that just fighting," he says, his voice going into its lecture tone, with a hint of anger seeping through. "It's a _lifestyle. _It's about honour, and health, and family and love and –"

"Whatever you say," Casey cuts him off before he has a chance to fully enter his rambling. "I still think it's unnecessarily tricky." Donnie's eyes narrow, and April decides it's about time she stops this before he decides to show how painful his _lifestyle_ can be.

"How did it go?" she asks, rounding Casey and walking up to the affronted turtle. "No one got hurt, right?" Donnie looks between her and Casey, not able to decide whether he should scowl or smile. He finally settles on the smile, locking eyes with April giving her and ignoring the other human

"It went great!" he says, putting his hands on his hips in a heroic pose. "We ran into a group of Foot ninja, and they didn't stand a chance." She notices him glancing at Casey, a haughty look on his face. _Was he jealous? He couldn't really be jealous, could he?_ She stares at him, not knowing if it's kind of cute or just plain annoying. There are, after all, more important things to deal with than Donnie's crush.

"_Let me go, you filthy, green freaks!_"

A string of colourful screams reaches them in the dojo, and the turtle shrinks a little, glancing at the door to Splinter's room. April is impressed; whoever the source of the shouts is has quite an extraordinary vocabulary.

"Oh, and we found Angel," Donnie mumbles to Casey. "Maybe you could talk to her before Raph ties her up and hides her in a closet."

* * *

April can faintly recall seeing the girl struggling in Leo and Raph's grips before; her purple hair and pierced face isn't one you easily forget. Right now it's scrunched up in a furious grimace, exacerbated with kicking legs and screamed insults. But she's scared; April can see the terror gleaming in her eyes, no matter how hard she tries to hide it.

The boys don't seem to notice; to them she's just a Foot ninja, just some naïve girl thinking it's cool to become part of a criminal gang. April's eyes widen when she sees Raph give her a rough tug on the arm to stop her from scrambling so much, Angel reacting by flinching away from him and shivering slightly when she can't get away. Then her face hardens, and she covers up her fear by stomping him on the foot and calling him an _'overgrown fucking swamp monster'_. April can't say she's blaming her. Lips pursed and fists clenched she marches over to the trio. Both Raph and Leo look quite surprised when she smacks them in their faces. Angel just stares at her, as if she's more surprised at seeing April than four mutant turtles. Maybe she is.

"Let her go right now," April hisses. "Can't you see she's terrified!"

"I am not," Angel grumbles, but when Raph and Leo hesitantly set her free she quickly backs away from them, sending them burning looks. Then her gaze slowly shifts to April. She stares, taking in the unlikely information with narrowed eyes. April twists a little and attempts to give her a welcoming smile.

"Hi, I'm April–"

"–O'Neil," Angel finishes for her. "What are you doing here?" She gives the turtles a poisonous glare. "Did _they _drag you here?"

"Oh no, they are my friends!" April quickly says. "Your friends, too, if you just listen to what they have to say." Angel snorts.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll just head back home now." She turns as if to leave, but then notices that she has no idea where she is. They are in Donnie's lab, the Shellraiser parked in the middle of the room and half-finished experiments scattered across the floor. Timothy's jar fills the dim space with an eerie glow, but Angel doesn't seem to be aware of his presence, being to busy glowering at everyone else present. The fury in her eyes is enough to make Mikey hide behind April, hands on her shoulders while he peeks at the furious girl.

They are all taken by surprise when Angel makes a run for it, heading for the door leading to the living room. Mikey jumps back and drags a struggling April along with him while Raph and Leo dashes after her. When she comes to a stop a few feet from the door they both barely manage to avoid plummeting into her. April frees herself from Mikey's hands and carefully walks closer, seeing Angel's back being tensed and the two boys glancing at her, not knowing what to do. Two people are blocking her way in the door, both of them staring but only one looking as pale as a ghost.

"Casey?" Angel whispers, looking down at his clothes and then back up at his eyes, recognition written all over her. "It was _you_?"

He goes even paler, blue eyes darting back and forth and sweat beading on his forehead. "I didn't know it was you," he finally quakes. "I thought it was just a Purple Dragon, and I'm really, really sorry." He stares at her, hesitant hope gleaming in his eyes.

"_I am a Purple Dragon_!" Angel screams, making April twinge. She can see the hope drain from Casey's face, and against better judgement feels sorry for him.

"Angel," she soothes, "if you just listen to him –"

"NO!" the girl shouts, her voice ringing through the lair like a siren. "I am not listening to anyone of you, you _betraying_, _back stabbing_, _mother_ –"

"Angel!" Mona's cry cuts her off, and April notices that she actually relaxes a little when the lizard girl pushes her way between Donnie and Casey, both standing paralyzed in the door.

"Mona!" Angel gasps, sprinting ahead and meeting the other girl with a fierce hug. A surprised expression crosses Mona's face and it takes a full three seconds before she returns the embrace, somewhat hesitantly. "I was so worried!" Angel mumbles into her shoulder. "When you disappeared… I though you were…" She quiets down, hugging Mona closer.

"It's okay," she replies, still looking a bit shocked. "The guys saved me. They are just trying to help you, Angel."

The purple haired girl tenses, quickly pulling away from her friend. "They saved you?" she asks doubtfully.

"They did," Mona confirms, a warm smile on her lips. "I don't what I'd been without them."

"You'd be dead," Raph states, making them all turn to him with intense glares. "What?" he exclaims, exasperatedly flinging his arms out. "It's true!" Mona purses her lips.

"Dude, you've got to learn to be more considerate," Mikey chimes in from behind April.

"You don't even know what that means," Raph grumbles, crossing his arms in a sulking manner.

"Neither do you," Mikey counters.

"Okay, that's it." Donnie at long last enters the room, pushing a still stunned Casey aside. "She's hurt and confused and scared, and all you guys do is squabble." He points to the door with a stern look. "Everybody out. Now." April smiles to herself; when Don sets his mind on something he doesn't back down if so a pack of hungry wolves tries to make him. Unfortunately, Angel isn't aware of this.

"I'm not scared," she repeats. "And it's your fault," she gestures to all of them, turtles and human alike, "that I'm hurt, so haven't got a say in things." With that she sticks her nose in the air and crosses her arms over her chest with finality. Donnie's brothers, already halfway out the door, stops to stare at her, eyes wide with disbelief.

"It doesn't matter," Donnie says with a stern voice. "You're in our lair and you're hurt; that makes you my patient and that's that."

"No way am I staying here!" Angel thunders. "I wouldn't trust you if my life so depended on it!"

"Do you trust me?" Mona suddenly asks with a careful voice.

Angel comes to a stop, glancing at her with dubious eyes before turning back to Donnie. Normally April is quite sure he would have buckled under her glare, but now he just determinedly stares back. Angel looks away first, once again looking at Mona in the corner of her eyes. "I trust you," she mumbles. "But not them; never them."

In the door a hurtful look crosses Leo and Mikey's faces, but Raph just rolls his eyes and starts dragging his brothers out of there.

"Come on now," he mutters. "Leave angry girl to the nerd before he beheads us all." Casey starts to follow them, but Raph pokes him in the chest with a big green finger. April, who was just on her way out, automatically steps back and turns away, expecting Casey to explode in Raph's face. But the boy just looks down at his chest, a puzzled look on his face. _He's killing himself over this_, she realizes. _If Angel doesn't forgive him…_"Maybe you should stay," Raph suggests. "To talk things out."

"No," Angel's voice booms. "I'm not speaking with him." She gives Casey a freezing glare, making him shy away with a beaten look on his face.

"Won't you consider –" Leo starts, but he is cut off by Casey.

"It's okay," he mumbles. "I should head home anyway." And with that he disappears out of sight.

* * *

It takes her an embarrassingly long time to find him. She knows where he is, she has an entire map memorized inside her head, and she even has all the codes necessary to enter his building without alerting the police.

But the New York is just so darn _huge._ All the buildings look the same, or are so bizarrely weird that she can't even place them on her mental map. The streets wind into and over each other, glowing signs light up the skyscrapers and reflects in the millions of windows, and even though she travels along the roof tops she still feels as if she's running in circles. Sure, he warned her to expect this, but she never really took him seriously. She's used to entire cities pulverized in an age long war, and travelling for days through burnt out ruins. Of course she's been lost, but she's always had an idea of how to find her way out, how to get things right. How hard could it possibly be to find him?

New York City isn't a ruin. Its streets aren't filled with the dust from the dead or the ash from burning houses. There is life, and change, and it confuses her. She can run for five minutes, turn around and head straight back, and the panorama will already have altered; cars leaving and arriving, people passing by, light flickering, music booming and TV's chattering. She's never seen more than ten or so people all breathing at once before; all this _life_ is making her head spin.

She tries to ignore everything going on around her as she jumps from roof to roof, focusing all her concentration on finding the right way. It's not easy. The gleaming lights and chiming sounds clamours for her attention, and it takes all her force of will not to give in. She wants to _explore_, to discover this amazing world bit by bit, take in all its life and fun and excitement before it's too late. The music makes her blood boil, the lights and people are almost enough to make her leave the roofs and head to the street, to the bubbling enjoyments down below. But she's on a mission, and no matter how much she longs for it she can't let her own wishes slow her down.

She must warn him, or it will all be for nothing.

The building is so bland and boring that she stays still for several minutes, just staring at it. If she was still back in Dimension X, a place like this would have been awed. Any still standing structure is considered something of a marvel, and a completely unscathed one like this, well, it would be nothing but a miracle. But after being here for just a few hours… suddenly she isn't so impressed.

It's low and grey, covered by billboards and some sign saying '_John's Antiques'_ hanging crocked across the storefront; the place is barely even noticeable between the huge skyscrapers nearly touching the sky. The windows are dark, and she has a feeling that even in daylight she wouldn't be able to see through them. Not with her bare eyes, at least.

But she is rather sure it's the right address. She furrows her brows, peering down at the street signs. Sure enough, this is where she's supposed to find him, inside that innocent looking place. It doesn't feel like his kind of place, but if there is one thing he knows, then it is how to evade notice, so she supposes he knows what he's doing.

She carefully makes her way down a fire escape, creeping along the edge of the building and peering over the street. Nothing moves in the little antique shop, no one looks back at her through the dark windows. But if this really is the right place, then there are supposed to be some serious security; infrared cameras, motion sensors and microphones. If she had all her equipment she could probably find her way around them, but she hasn't really got a reason to sneak in anyway, not with him awaiting her inside. Still, though, just walking straight over there goes against all her instincts.

She sucks in a deep breath and picks the gun from her belt, carefully weighing it in her slim hands. It's adjusted for the bigger Kraang-droids, not really fitting someone so young and petite as her, but it is pretty much the best hand-held weaponry around. Laser, built-in saw for close range battle and heavy and durable enough to use as a club in case all else fails. Ever since she got it she haven't gone anywhere without it, not feeling safe if she can't feel its reassuring weight in her belt or hands. And god be known that it was hard to get; if she lost it, she'd probably never be able to obtain a new one. Her hand tenses around the handle, powering up the gun as she slowly crosses the street, hoping for the best.

It'd just be her kind of luck if she's misunderstood something and this is just an ordinary old store.

But as she closes up, a nearly unperceivable movement catches her attention: a camera hidden under the sign, zooming in on her small figure. He knows she's here. The door slides open, looking much too armoured for a regular antique shop. She comes to a stop as someone steps into the doorway, relief flooding her.

"Bishop," she sighs. "I was beginning to think I wouldn't find you."

* * *

Splinter is waiting for them when they enter the living room. Of course he is. Nothing happens in the lair without Splinter knowing about it, especially not if this particular something is yelling her lungs out. It surprises Leo that he never entered the lab, leaving them to handle the screaming girl on their own. But Splinter never does anything thoughtless; there must be a reason to why he chose not to intervene.

"Leonardo."

The leader cringes at the sound of his fathers booming voice. That tone is never good.

"Yes, Sensei," he says, straightening his back and trying not to look all too guilty. In the corner of his eye he notices Raph, Mikey and April all reacting the same way, looking just as nervous. Casey just drags himself over to the couch, collapsing on it with an extremely beaten down air around him. His shoulders are slumping so much that Leo can barely see his head poking up over the back of the couch. Splinter glances at the human, but decides to leave him be.

"You may go," he says, looking at April and the two younger turtles. "I wish to speak to Leonardo alone." They deflate visibly before edging away, sending Leo sympathetic glances as they pass by. Well, Mikey and April do. Raph just smirks and gives him a sardonic salute. Leo shrinks a little as Splinter starts to the dojo and gestures to him to follow.

"May I ask," he begins as Leo kneels on the training mats, hands nervously clasped on his legs. "Why you have brought yet another human to our home?"

Leo gulps, suddenly realizing that they never actually told Splinter that they were planning to bring Angel. He would never have agreed on it, and for good reasons; she is not just a human, but a part of the Foot Clan as well. Having her here endanger them all. They couldn't possibly have done anything more stupid.

Apart from letting Casey loose on the streets again.

He does his best to explain, all the while seeing Splinter's blank expression stare back at him. Their father has a very impressive poker face, never letting any emotions slip through unless he intends to. It's an unnerving trait; speaking to someone without having the slightest clue what he's thinking makes Leo's skin crawl, especially when he knows Splinter has every reason to be upset. He could very well be planning on grounding him for a month, and Leo wouldn't know a thing until it was too late.

"We had no choice but to do it," he anxiously finishes. "If we let Casey out to talk to her, he would have gotten mixed up with the Shredder, and that would have gotten him killed. Sensei, please understand that we were just trying to help." He gives his father a pleading look.

Splinter pensively strokes his beard, his eyes having that contemplative gleam they only get when he is deep in thought. "I do hope you realize that by bringing her here under circumstances like that you have put her in even greater danger than before." He looks up, eyes boring into Leo's. "The Shredder will know that she is involved with us, and that will be enough for him to think that she is a traitor. If he ever gets his hands on her he will not hesitate to harm her to get to us."

Leo grimaces. "Hai, Sensei. But we did not plan on it to happen like that. Casey gave us her address, and we were hoping to find her there, but then we ran into a squad of Foot Ninja, and Mikey just sort of… asked if one of them happened to be named Angel." He fidgets, aware of how amateurish the whole venture sounds in retrospect. "I noticed one of them flinch, and understood that it had to be her. At that point we couldn't just leave her there." He hitches up his shoulders and awaits his father's reaction.

"It was a very foolish move to perform, Leonardo," Splinter scolds. "You have put both her and us in unnecessary danger. How do you know that she will not tell the Shredder the location of our lair the second she gets out?"

Leo feels his shoulders relax a tad; this he has actually planned for. "We made sure she never saw where we were going, and she hasn't had the chance to leave Donnie's lab. There is no way she will have figured out we're in an old subway station; there is nothing in Don's place telling her that. All she knows is that she is underground, and that much Shredder already knows." He looks up, proud of having done at least part of this mission correctly. "Besides, we brought her here to convert her. If it works out the way we planned she won't want to tell the Shredder anything." Splinter raises a brow.

"I heard her screaming all the way to my room. Do you really think you can make her listen to what you have to say?"

"Well," Leo starts, but then hesitates. How _do_ they plan to make her listen? They certainly didn't succeed with Pulverizer, and he was on their side, an ally (well, sort of). Angel considers them to be her mortal enemies; she has absolutely no reason to do what they tell her to. As if that isn't bad enough, Casey has managed to get on her bad side and she hasn't even seen Splinter yet. "Maybe Mona can convince her," he says weakly, knowing it to be plan deemed to fail. Friends or not, he doubts Angel will listen to anyone if she sets her mind on it. And damn it, she has surely set her mind on making their lives all the more complicated. Something suddenly hits him, and he looks at his father quizzically. "If you heard her scream, why did you not come to see what had happened?"

Splinter chuckles quietly. "I heard her scream, yes, and that is why I stayed away. She was already upset and scared, and seeing me would not have made this any easier on her."

"You did the same thing yesterday, didn't you?" Leo realizes. "You didn't come to see what had happened until Mona had stopped screaming."

"I did not wish to startle her when she was already in such a fragile state," Splinter confirms, giving his son a stern look. "Perhaps this is something for you to consider in the future too, my son. First impressions are important, and dragging someone here against her will is not a very good one."

Leo's face grows warm, understanding that they really hadn't treated Angel very well. He hadn't even understood that she was scared until April pointed it out. "Hai, Sensei," he mumbles. "That wasn't very considerate of us."

"It was not," Splinter agrees. "And I am glad you see that you understand that. Now, how do you plan on handling this situation you have gotten yourself into?"

Leo sighs. "I'll just let Donnie finish treating her, and if they are both still alive afterwards I will try and talk to her. Maybe I can convince her to forgive Casey," he adds hopefully. "Then he can make her understand what danger she puts herself in."

"I think it is best if mr Jones returns home," Splinter says tranquilly. "He has got a lot on his mind right know regarding the choices he has made in his life, and it would be best for everyone if he settles with himself before he tries to help anyone else. Besides, he has already been her for more than a day. His family must be worried."

"I understand," Leo sighs. "I'll just show him the way out, then." He starts to stand, planning to fetch Casey's bike where it's parked outside the lair (thankfully Don moved it out there when he was finished repairing it, allowing Leo to get it without having to go back into the lab) and show the human how to exit the sewers.

"Leonardo." Splinter's voice stops him, and he turns back with worried thoughts clouding his mind. _This is it, this is when he throws the punishment at me._ He clenches his fist, awaiting the worst. "In the future, I do expect you to consult with me before deciding on any rash decisions like this."

A surprised smile spreads across Leo's face. "Hai, Sensei." He bows and turns to leave the room.

"And Leonardo, tomorrow you and you brothers will clean this lair from top to bottom, and rise at five in the morning for extra training."

Leo barely manages to contain his disappointed groan. "Hai, Sensei," he mutters. _Oh man, he was _not_ looking forward to telling Raph about this._

* * *

Angel is in worse condition than Donnie had first thought. The fingers on her right hand are sprained, one of them possibly broken, she has a fractured rib (probably from when he dropped her on the street), her face is swollen and red and her left foot is alarmingly black and blue. It took him and Mona several minutes of convincing for her to agree with him examining her, and even now she's staring at him with an evil look while he bandages her injured hand.

He's not really sure how to feel about the guilt consuming him at the sight of her injuries. For some reason he had been convinced that there couldn't be anyone more than Timothy naïve enough to join the Foot Clan without being fully aware of the consequences, but here's Angel, proving him wrong. She clearly isn't evil, and rebellious and annoying as she may be she doesn't deserve this. She is in a bad condition and, even though she tries to hide it, obviously scared. No wonder why; she's been dragged into the lair of her greatest enemies after being fed only propaganda from the Shredder about them. She must think they are monsters.

How many others of their "enemies" are actually just confused teenagers like her? How many scared girls like this have they unknowingly beaten up, how many tricked fools like Timothy were injured under their hands? He finds that he doesn't want to think about it, no more than he wants to think about April and the way she looked when he found her with Casey earlier. An almost guilty expression on her face, hair and clothes all over the place. _She can't possibly like him, not a big jerk like him. He isn't her type. He _can't _be her type._ But the more he thinks about it, the more uncertain he gets.

While working on fixing Angel up he gives her a quick rundown on why they brought her here, and why it is so important she listens to him. It's tedious work, but he's glad to do it, not just because she needs it but because it keeps his mind off of the more unpleasant thoughts crowding his mind. "You can't trust anyone from the Foot," he says, finishing up the bandage. "Do you even know what they are actually up to? What they do at night?"

Angel flinches as he tightens the cloth around her frail fingers, but gives no other indication that she is in pain. "They're just some higher branch of the Purple Dragons, is suppose," she grumbles. "Patrolling the streets to make sure no intruders try their luck, takes protection money, some robberies, shoplifting, drugs and weapons dealing." She shrugs. "That kind of stuff."

"And you're okay with that?" Mona intervenes, looking a bit pale.

"So where you!" Angel gestures wildly, nearly smacking Donnie in the face. "Don't pretend like you're innocent!"

"I was desperate!" Mona exclaims, but Donnie can see the guilt written all over her face. He lifts Angel's foot a little too roughly, making her gasp.

"Watch it," she growls.

"Likewise," he says, keeping his eyes on her bruised leg. "Do you know what happened to the last person who became a part of the Foot without knowing what he got himself into?" She shrugs, still glowering at him.

"I guess he got in _way_ over his head or something," she drawls sarcastically.

"You might say so," Donnie mumbles, letting go of her foot. "I need to show you something."

Mona and Angel glance at each other as he gets up and crosses the lab, stopping in front of Timothy. Floating in the strange glowing liquid, two eyes snap open, quickly bobbing through the jar to stare back at Donnie. A heavy feeling sets in his stomach, making his shoulders slump and eyes drop. "Hey Timmy," he mumbles and puts a hand over the glass. The creature inside scoots closer, staring at him with hopeful eyes. "Maybe you can help me out here." He looks up again, smiling faintly. "I hope you don't mind."

The two girls slowly edges closer, Angel one arm reluctantly flung around Mona's shoulders and muttering under her breath. They both stop when they discover Timothy's dismembered organs, the light from his jar casting an eerie green glow over their faces. Or maybe they are just feeling sick. Donnie can't judge them, even though it makes him a bit sad that this is the reaction poor Timothy will get from everyone the rest of his life.

Unless Don can find a way to help him.

He fists his hand on the glass and gives the boy inside an encouraging look. "I'll fix you," he whispers. "I promise."

"Is that the Pulverizer Mikey mentioned?" Mona inquires quietly, eyes not leaving Timothy's, an unnerving fascination on her face.

"Yes." Donnie turns away and stares Angel down while she is still shocked enough not to argue with him. "He got involved, and they decided he was a good test subject. We tried to help him; we really did everything we could." He closes his eyes, willing himself to stay strong. _You can't break down now. There was nothing more you could do for Tim, but you can still help Angel._ "But he refused to listen and stayed with them. This is the result." He gestures to the jar with a heavy motion. _I'm sorry Tim._ The staring eyes burn into the back of his neck.

"No." Angel shakes her head slowly, leaning so heavily on Mona that the other girl nearly buckles under the extra weight. "They'd never do this – they _couldn't_ do this. It's just – _no._" Once again she shakes her head, more violently this time. There is no doubt about it: she is in denial.

"Shredder is obsessed," Donnie sneers. "He travelled here all the way from Japan just to get vengeance on Splinter and he knows that the more power he holds, the closer he gets to his goal. You really think he'd be beyond mutating children to obtain his revenge?" Angel stands quiet, staring at him with empty eyes. Her expression bothers him; is she even listening? Doesn't she understand how serious this is? "He is prepared to ignore an _alien invasion_," he exclaims, trying to force her to listen. "To hire ruthless criminals who have no objections kidnapping innocents to get what they want, to train his own _daughter _to be a pawn in his game." He steps closer, looking down to be able to meet Angel's eyes. "You _really_ think you are safe with him and his kind?"

"Alien invasion?" Angel mumbles, and he grows cold when he realizes just how much he just told this girl. They can't trust her, and sooner or later they will have no other choice than to let her go back topside. For all they know she might march straight back to the Shredder, telling him everything she knows.

"That is not important," he quickly says. "What you need to know is that Shredder only has one goal, and that he is prepared to do anything to get it. That means that the second he gets his hands on more ooze, he'll start mutating himself an army."

"I see," Angel murmurs, head nodding slowly.

Donnie and Mona glance at each other, both knowing that this reaction isn't normal for someone like Angel. He has only known her for an hour or so, but he is already very aware of that when she thinks something she makes sure everyone around her knows it.

"Come on," Mona cautions, "let's sit down, shall we?"

"Yes," Angel agrees. "Sitting sounds nice." She doesn't fight it when Mona leads her back to the chair, but she doesn't help either, letting the poor lizard take nearly all her weight.

_She must be in shock_, Donnie realizes. How do you handle someone in shock? Should he make her some tea? Get her a blanket? Maybe just take all the mutants out of the room to restore some normalcy.

"Why is he after you?" Angel suddenly asks, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her voice is sounding alarmingly hollow, but at least she's talking. "If he wants revenge on some guy named Splinter, then why does he want you guys dead?"

"That's a long story," he says exhaustedly.

"Tell me," Angel demands, eyes staring vacantly into the oblivion. Mona puts her hands on the other girl's shoulders and looks up, a worried expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" Don asks Angel carefully, and she finally looks up at him, a little life returning to her eyes.

"Would you be okay?" she snaps. "Everything hurts, I'm kidnapped and I just found out that my boss wants to turn me into a gelatinous blob." She gestures to Timothy, who is still staring intently at them. "Plus, you mentioned an alien invasion, so no, _I am not okay_."

Well, at least that snapped her out of her shock. "I'll just tell you then," Donnie says weakly.

By the time he's finished treating her injuries, the story is only half way through. He sits on his desk, both Angel and Mona staring attentively at him, and tells them the same story they told Mona that morning, the one about Splinter and Shredder's origins in Japan, only going a little deeper. He tells them about the alley where they were all "born", gives some minor details about the Kraang, and describes the ooze and its effects.

"There is one thing I don't really understand," Mona ponders after some time. "If this ooze that mutated Pulverizer is the same that changed you and me, then how come he isn't some kind of humanoid animal instead of… instead of _that_." She motions awkwardly towards the jar.

"His name is actually Timothy," Donnie answers absentmindedly, picking with a pen lying on the desk. He wishes Leo was here. He'd know what is safe to tell Angel, and what should be kept from her until further notice. "Pulverizer was just an alter ego he gave himself. He wanted to be a superhero." He smiles a little, shaking his head at the boy's naïve optimism.

"That wasn't what she asked," Angel intervenes. Donnie glares at her.

"All mutants react with the DNA of the animal they last touched," he reluctantly explains. "In Mona's case I think it was a lizard or a salamander, in Splinter's a rat, and in mine human." Mona nods.

"That makes sense. There was some kind of lizard that ran straight over my feet just a few minutes before the – incident." Her voice weakens a little on the last word and she looks away. Donnie feels a pang in his heart. Poor girl.

"That's right," he says kindly. "But Timmy wore this superhero costume in rubber." He waves Angel's raised eyebrow away and continues without letting her cut him off. "My theory is that it was so long ago he last touched another species with his bare skin that there was not stray DNA left for the mutagen to react with. Hence this – this not very _animalistic_ form." He had thought about Timmy's strange reaction a lot, and this was the only plausible explanation he had been able to come up with. It wasn't much, but it was one step closer a cure.

Angel pouts and furrows her brows, obviously having a hard processing all this new information. Mona, on the other hand, gives him a thoughtful look, having seemingly forgotten about her complicated situation. For now, at least.

"So, technically, that would make Splinter your biological father?" she asks slowly, brows knitted as she develops her theory further. "Since he was the last human to touch you, it's his DNA that turned you human. That would make you related to him by blood, wouldn't it?" She looks at him, waiting for his response. Poor Angel just stares at them, a confused expression etched on her face.

He is surprised. Of course, he came to this conclusion several years ago, but he has never heard any of his brothers wonder about it, not to mention come to her conclusion. Neither had any of them asked about Timmy's odd mutation, while she wondered about that only minutes after first seeing him. That she so quickly picked up on things and came to those conclusions amazes him a little.

"One might think so, but our actual "father" in this case is an employee back at the pet store." He smiles at the girls' surprised expressions. "He was the one who picked us out of the aquarium and put us in a bowl; Splinter only carried it out of there." He remembers the day he asked Splinter about this, and that he had felt a little disappointed at finding out that they were related to some random zookeeper instead of the man they considered their father. Today he found it kind of funny.

A sudden laugh from Angel snaps him out of his nostalgia. He and Mona give the purple haired girl a perplexed look, and she laughs even harder.

"It just occurred to me," she grins, "that Xever is related by blood to a _fish_." Hysterical laughter stops her from talking, and the fractured rib stops her from laughing. "Ouch," she giggles, clutching her side. "Dammit, that hurts." Donnie must admit that Fishface's new family is kind of amusing, and nothing he has ever really thought about before, and Mona smiles widely.

"That would make Bradford related to Lassie," she smirks. "Maybe you could teach him to sit?"

Donnie immediately stops laughing and turns to her, his heart beating faster. "You have met Dogpound?" he asks, eyes wide. Mona furrows her brows.

"Who's Dogpound?"

"That's just what we call Bradford. Mikey has this thing with naming everything he sees." He gestures it away quickly, leaning a bit closer to her. "But you've met him? How? When?"

"She has met them both," Angel explains. "They tested her to see if she was good enough to be part of the Foot." She shrugs, completely oblivious to Donnie's shocked expression.

"They _tested_ her? As in they _fought_ her?"

"Just one of them," Mona adds carefully. "Xever."

"_You fought Fishface?_" Donnie shrieks. He can't believe it; Mona is so tiny, so frail, he can't imagine her facing off someone so remorseless.

"And she did great," Angle chimes in. "Lasted way longer than most others would have."

He blinks. "You can fight?"

"I have taken a few self-defence classes," she admits shyly. "But I'm not very good; Xe- _Fishface_," she flashes a smile, "nearly bit my head off."

"I think you did great," Angel states. "He would have eaten me."

"He would have," Donnie agrees, and she glares at him. "I'm serious!" he calls. "After this, let's just say they won't be happy to see you." She sinks back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest and eyes shooting daggers at him.

"And whose fault is _that_?"

Okay, so has to give her that one. "But still," he insists. "If you had stayed you would have ended up like Timmy, sooner or later."

"Yeah, I guess." She slumps, looking like someone just stole all her candy. "I can't go back now, anyway. They would kill me." Another murderous glare. "Thank you so much for losing me my only income."

Donnie hesitates, wanting to take this battle but knowing that she won't give in. They'll just have to work on her over time, and maybe she'll end up being grateful to them for getting her out of there. He glances at her, flinching at her poisonous look.

A lot of time.

* * *

**A/N: That was it for this time. There were loads of more things I wanted to add, like an extra scene between Bishop and the strange girl (any guesses on who she is? I'll give you a hint: she appeared in the 80' show), a little more Irma, and a bonding scene between Leo and Mona. And I've got a great plan for a scene between Raph and Mona, I just need to find a way to fit it into the story... Well, the chapter just kept growing and I realized I couldn't possibly fit it all in there, so most of it'll probably show up in the next one. **

**Please, review and tell me what you think! Are everyone still acting in character? Is the plot plausible or just messed up? Oh, and if you notice any weird spelling or grammar, please notice me so I can be more carefull about it in the future. Constructive critisism is appreaciated just as much as pure love, so don't hesitate to tell me what you think.**

**Oh, and i won't tell you whether i prefer AprilxCasey or AprilxDonnie, or if I even want her to date anyone. You'll just have to keep reading to find out, muahahah**


	6. Chapter 6: Fight

**A/N: I finally made a RaphxMona scene (and as I struggled with it)! I also worked really hard on another Mikey point of view, trying to show that he's more than just a goofy jokester without any depth. **

**So here you have chapter 6, in which Casey fights for forgiveness, Raph and Mona fight each other and Mikey fights his own conflicted feelings about certain events**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT, neither do I own the idea of Bishop's involvement with Dimension X (that one comes from Page-Mistress, thank you!)**

* * *

Chapter 6: Fight

Of course she had understood that _'John's Antiques'_ wasn't actually an antique shop, but its hidden interior still baffles her slightly. The façade was impressive: a convincing little store filled to the breaking point with various curious items, dimly lit and dusty and with an old-fashioned desk and ornate lamps hanging from the ceiling. Anyone who walked through the doors would see only row upon row with old clocks, dolls, statuettes, bowls, jewellery, china, books, vases and anything else you could possibly imagine, everything scraped and chipped and prized so high that no human in their right mind would actually want to purchase them.

She lingered in there when Bishop invited her in, wishing that she had the time to really look at it all, to experience this world's curiosities from various ages, all looking just as odd and fascinating. It was beautiful and glittering and so completely unlike the broken shards back in the place she called home. It made her want to laugh; how these silly little things could make her so happy with just their bare existence.

But no matter how much she loved the little shop it was nothing but a smokescreen; a way for Bishop and his likes to conceal what was really happening on the lower floors.

He had led her to the back, where boxes and particularly worn and delicate objects were carefully placed in case some persistent individual decided to make a closer inspection of the building. The higher floors were all living quarters, most of them uninhabited. There were no records of any lower floors ever being built; only a handful of people even knew they existed. She was now one of those people.

It wasn't like Kraang headquarters, but it was still pretty impressive. A hidden elevator (she had thought it to be just part of the wall until Bishop pushed some equally well hidden buttons and what appeared to be solid wood slid aside) took them down to the labs, the interrogation rooms and the holding cells. Security was everywhere: every door required codes and keycards and identification on various levels. There were no windows into the rooms and since it was in the middle of the night there weren't anyone opening any doors, so she never managed to sneak a peek anywhere else than the never-ending corridor they were walking through. But there was this smell hanging in the air, one she recognised from her childhood: sterile antiseptic, a hint of blood and stinging chemicals. Apparently labs smell the same in different worlds. It made her shudder to the bone.

They ended up in one of the interrogation rooms, three white walls and one huge mirror surrounding them, a tabled nailed to the floor standing square in the middle. She felt a bit insulted; she was, after all, an awaited visitor, not a criminal. But she knew she was childish, and there weren't really any other way to describe her current situation than as an interrogation.

"Did they notice you go through the portal?" Bishop asks, still standing, hands locked behind his back and eyes trailed on her as she tries to get comfortable in the nailed chair.

She snorts, remembering the firing guns, the screams and the crumbling walls. "You could say that," she states dryly. "It was kind of hard to get passed the bazillions of guards without them seeing me."

"I understand." He nods pensively, giving her a suspicious look from under his shades. "They didn't follow you here, did they?"

_Bishop, always the thoughtful one._

"No, they did not," she sighs and rolls her eyes. "There were some creeps stalking me for a block or so, but I'm quite sure they weren't Kraang, and they lost me after a while. And I'm fine, by the way," she adds. "The bazillion of vicious, robotic guards trying to kill me never managed to hit me, thanks for asking."

She doesn't mention that the strange people following her through the city had actually managed to cause her some worry. Used only to the Kraang and their hunters, she didn't fully know how to handle this new, potential threat. Were they dangerous enough for her to have to deal with them, or were they just amateurs, not worth her attention? It would have been fairly easy for her to take them out with her stolen Kraang gun, but she had always preferred to stay out of the full-blown fights. Armed she could do some serious damage, but fistfights weren't her thing. She was too small, too untrained, and if she started shooting her stalkers would understand that there was no point in hiding. They would have come for her in full force, and there was always the risk that she wouldn't be able to hit them all before they were to close for her to aim properly, and then she would lose. No, she left the brawls to her brothers, and they were not with her in this lively place.

But the followers themselves weren't what had really spooked her. Just when she had started worrying, something had dropped down onto the street, effectively stopping them in their tracks. She hadn't stayed around long enough to see the outcome, she hadn't even paused in her steps, but she had glanced quickly over her shoulder, unable to fully overcome the curiosity her brothers always teased her for. What she saw had made her blood freeze.

_Mutants._

But she hadn't seen them close enough to be sure, and thinking about it in retrospect she had to admit that they had been rather small, and not looking all that different from the humans already crowding the street. She must have mistaken herself, her overly paranoid internal alarms so battle weary that they would go off at the slightest hint of hunters. Of course the four people had been just that: _people_.

A faint smile crosses Bishop's lips. "I trust you to be able to stay out of their aim. After eighteen years on the field, anything else would have been sad." She rolls her eyes, but cannot conceal her grin.

"Yeah, right, 'cause I started fighting the second I was born." How long had she _actually_ been on the field? She tries to remember. The first Kraang had fallen under her hand when she was eight. Did that count, or was she supposed to go all the way back to when she started running and hiding? That would give her fifteen years of experience.

"This is not the time for sarcasm." Bishop reprimands, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"You started it," she grumbles, and sees his mouth twitch just slightly in annoyance. It feels strange, that she hasn't met this man since she was six but already remember his particular facial expressions. She smiles weakly. "I'm sorry, Bishop, I'm just a bit fretful after all that has happened lately."

"Aren't we all," he mumbles, making her lean forwards to catch his words. Then he quickly rebuilds his blank facade and locks eyes with her. "What brings you here so sudden?"

She feels her face go grim. "The Kraang have noticed us communicating through the portal, and sealed all the leaks." They'd probably never know who had messed up, alerting their enemies that their very portal was used by the rebels to stay in contact across worlds. There was nothing to do about it now. No more information would ever cross the portal unless it was approved by the Kraang, and she had just barely managed to get a warning through to Bishop in time, alerting him that she was going to attempt to cross. It was lucky he had sent his location earlier, or she'd never been able to find him in the city. "And there are things you need to know, no matter how risky it was for me to get here."

He leans in a little, face as cold as ice. "Tell me."

"They've got everything they need. Their plan is ready to be set in motion the second they get hold of the last piece."

Silence fills the room, heavy and stifling. Bishop purses his lips.

"Already? That isn't good." His face is still blank, but she can see how he has gone a little rigid, jaws clenched and arms stiff.

"Have you found her yet?" she asks, hope filling her voice.

"We had just managed to locate her, but before we got hold of her she – vanished."

"Vanished?" she echoes. "She can't just vanish!"

"She did," he confirms. "About a week ago. The police suspected she ran away to find her father, and since we couldn't find any other traces of where she had gone, we thought the same. Until last night."

She feels her face go pale, and her voice is weak when she speaks. "They haven't gotten her, have they?" She shakes her head, short strawberry blond hair bobbing back and forth. "They can't have taken her. We would all have noticed. This world…" She stops, heart beating fast at the thought of this glowing place in ruins. "Everything would be over," she whispers.

"They don't have her," Bishop reassures. "She's still in the city, actually, somewhere underground. I just need to dig her out."

This doesn't make sense. She furrows her brows. "What do you mean?"

"The Kraang have been careless with their creations lately, and a sudden rise of mutants is what they drew this worlds government to New York. They sent me here to take care of it and I had my men cover the place with surveillance cameras."

She can't see what this has to do with April. The Kraang have always been awfully sloppy when it comes to keeping their abominations under control. They're constantly making new ones, experimenting to find the best usage of the mutagen, and if one or another manages to escape, well, let's just say none of them really bothered to try to get them back. The outback of Dimension X (nearly all of Dimension X, that is) is crawling with them, and of course some of them are roaming earth, too. That's what Bishop had been up to since he arrived here and snaked his way into the government agencies: cleaning up the Kraang's mess all over the planet. In what way does it concern April that there has suddenly been a spike in mutant activity in New York?

"Last night they picked up on something; four creatures stirring up trouble, so I went out to collect them. It was really no trouble. One of them got away and a human managed to get himself involved, but it was all over in a matter of minutes. It was when I was heading back to base that a truly interesting thing occurred." A new twitch of his lips. Whatever it was that happened it got on his nerves. She leans her chin in her hands and stares intently at him, getting more and more curious. And then there was that thing he had mentioned; _four mutants_… "Someone crashed into my van, knocking me out. By the time I woke the assailants were already on their way and I only managed to spot the boy from earlier. It wasn't until later, when our technicians went through the van's camera recordings, that we discovered that there had been a second human involved."

"April," she whispers, and he nods severely.

"In the flesh. She helped the creatures escape and a surveillance camera caught them vanishing into the sewers. That's where we lost them."

"She's collaborating with mutants?" she says, barely believing her own words.

"They must have tricked her," Bishop theorizes, and for them first time she can hear and actual hint of emotion in his voice. Anger. "Making her think that they can help her."

"But why?" she exclaims. "Are they hunters?"

"I doubt it; she would have been handed over the instant they got their hands on her."

"So what's their agenda?" she ponders, rubbing her chin. Does April have something they want? Are they planning on trading her with the Kraang for something they need? The thought makes her flinch; if April is handed over it's game over for everyone. "We need to get her away from them," she insists.

"And we are," Bishop reassures her. "The creatures have already been spotted a second time, although they were gone by the time I got there. My men are currently working on putting up surveillance in the sewers; once that is done there will be no place for them to hide."

* * *

Raph has never, ever liked morning practice. He hasn't got a problem with the training itself; actually, after Leo, he's pretty sure that he's the one to appreciate it the most.

But he just _cannot_ see the reason of having to do it at five in the morning.

He and his brothers are all half asleep as they go through their katas, and end up getting reprimands from Splinter for not focusing. Well, what messed up being can _focus _after only three or so hours of sleep? Part of Raph wants to tell Splinter that, but the rest of him wants to live thank you very much, so he keeps his mouth shut, taking out his anger at Leo as they end the training session with some sparring.

One hour of extra practice, and then the regular morning training starts at seven. He won't have enough energy to do any push-up later. Too bad. At least the other three are just as worn out.

April stumbles in at seven to join practice (how come _she_ wasn't punished? That's so unfair!) closely followed by a hesitant Mona Lisa. Raph stops in the middle of his stretches, surprised at seeing her up so early, and in the dojo no less. But then, she was still sleeping on the couch and all the commotion had probably woken her up. They should get her an actual room. Maybe Donnie could move into his lab and let her take his? Or maybe she could share with April; girls usually didn't have any qualms sharing rooms, right? Maybe Mona was one of those girls who needed her space.

He snorts; someone who needs her space won't last long in their lair.

"Ah, Mona Lisa," Splinter says, becoming aware of the newcomer. "Was there something you wanted?" He smiles kindly at her, but Raph can imagine that a smiling, giant rat doesn't work as calming for someone like her as it does for him and his brothers. She stops in her tracks, eyes darting back and forth.

"I, uhm, I just…" She stumbles over the words, face blushing.

"I suggested she could watch us practice," April quickly cuts in, noticing how uncomfortable Mona is with getting questioned. "Since we woke her up I thought it was a bit rude to just leave her in the living room." Splinter nods slowly and strokes his beard.

"You may watch," he decides, giving Mona another smile. She lets out a relieved breath and smiles back weakly.

"Thank you, master Splinter." With that she performs a clumsy bow with her head, looking a little out-of-place, and sits down cross-legged at the wall.

Having her sitting there, staring at them, feels a bit awkward, but at least Angel didn't tag along. She's probably still soundly asleep in Donnie's lab after spending half the night arguing with Splinter on whether or not she should spend the night in the lair. She had reacted fairly well on seeing him, not screaming, attacking or even trying to hide, but Raph couldn't other than marvel at her recklessness when speaking to their Sensei. She had very clearly (and loudly) stated that she had absolutely no intentions on staying any longer than absolutely necessary in their lair, and it had taken the combined forces of Mona, Donnie, April and Splinter to convince her otherwise (Raph and Mikey hadn't even been let into the room, but the conversation was so loud that not much went by them). Luckily enough Donnie had agreed on locking the door when she'd fallen asleep, just to make sure she wouldn't either try to escape and get lost in the sewers or wreck some kind of havoc in the lair. Pushing his thoughts aside, Raph returns focus to training.

It's not the first time he is completely and utterly exhausted after practice (he remembers the morning after they met Baxter Stockman the first time with a scowl) but it is still an unpleasant feeling. He tries to ignore and throws himself harder into the exercises, pushes himself to his very limit and ignoring the way his muscles burn.

"Raphael," Splinter chastises as Raph dives to the floor to avoid a kick from Leo, grabbing for his older brother's feet in an attempt to bring him out of balance. "Remember; slow and steady is better than fast and sloppy."

"Hai, Sensei," Raph pants as he gets back up and faces the blue masked turtle. Leo smirks, not looking nearly as worn out as Raph feels.

"Can't keep up, Raphie boy?"

"Oh I'll show you keep up," Raph snarls, lunging for his brother with arms extended and forgetting everything about the more graceful moves he should be performing. Sometimes, brute force is just that much more satisfying.

Unless your target sidesteps and trips you with humiliating ease.

"Oops," Leo drawls. "I didn't know it was the floor you wanted to show it for, but I guess you got me there." Raph snarls, face feeling numb from crashing into the ground, and starts to pounce back up. But the world spins just slightly as he reaches for his brother, everything tilting to the side. He ends up stumbling past his target and nearly falls back down.

"Enough!" Splinter booms, making Raph com to an abrupt stop. "Raphael, go sit down for the rest of the training before you hurt yourself."

"But Sensei," Raph exclaims, "it wasn't that bad a hit! It barely even hurts!"

"Yeah, I can totally see that's why your face is all red," Mikey chimes in from the other end of the dojo, losing focus just long enough to allow Donnie to whack him over the head with his bo. "Ouch!"

"Just shut up," Raph snarls and glares at his younger brother as he rubs his sore head.

"Raphael," Splinter reprimands. "Sit. And watch you language or I'll add twenty flips to your training schedule tomorrow." Raph flinches.

"Hai Sensei."

He sulkily shuffles over to the wall and sits down, trying to maintain as much of his hurt pride as possible. It takes him several seconds to realize he's sitting only a foot away from Mona.

"What?" he snarls, noticing the way she's glancing at him with wide brown eyes. She quickly looks away.

"Nothing," she says, but he can still feel her looking at him in the corners of her eyes every now and then. He sighs, envying his still fighting comrades. At least they don't have to deal with this awkward silence, nor do they have faces feeling as if someone just threw a brick wall into them.

Being around Mona is still making him feel a bit uncomfortable; every time he looks at her face he sees it contorted in pain from the night she was first brought to the lair, or covered in fear the time she first saw him. The time he let her swim away in the ocean and end up in the claws of the Foot.

"Donnie mentioned you can fight," he says as a way to keep his thoughts away from unpleasant memories. "Is that true?"

Her face turns a bit red and she keeps her eyes on the people training in front of her. "Not really. I've taken a few self-defence classes; that's all."

"He also mentioned you had a run in with Fishface and came out of it alive." She snaps her eyes to him, looking bewildered.

"Do you guys tell each other everything?"

Raph snorts, remembering his personal conversations with Spike and Leo's run-ins with Karai. "Definitely not. But that's not the point here. You actually fought him?" He didn't really believe it when Donnie said it, thinking it must be something Angel concocted to try to impress them. Why she would do it through Mona he didn't understand, but he really couldn't imagine Mona face-to-face with someone like Fishface. He would have chewed her up and spit her up. Man, he even chewed on _Raph_once.

"It wasn't a downright fight," she says slowly, fingertips drumming against each other. He can't help but stare at them; they're so incredibly tiny. "More like… an _initiation_, to see if I was "worthy" to join the Foot clan."

"And he thought you were."

"Not really, no. He said 'beggars can't be choosers' and decided I wasn't completely worthless." She wrinkles her little bump of a nose, looking insulted. He decides she looks much better when she's annoyed about something than when she's shy.

"So if you 'aren't completely useless' how come Casey walked away from your fight without a single mark?" He raises an eye ridge, seeing her face darken slightly.

"All the techniques I learned are vey… direct. Hurt your opponent as much as possible to make sure they can't fight or chase you as you make a run for it. You know, kicks to the knee to dislocate it, fingers in eye-sockets, elbows to the face; everything to bring them out-of-order."

"Ruthlessness." He nods. "Sounds reasonable if you're in a life-or-death situation." She deflates a little.

"I'm not very good at being ruthless," she mumbles. "I thought I could do it, back when I took those classes. I though that if it came to me or them I'd be able to choose me, but I… I just couldn't hurt him like that."

"Why not?" Raph asks exasperatedly. She'd had an actual chance to take Casey down, and then she would never have had to go through all that pain he inflicted on her. "He attacked _you,_ who cares if you hit back? I mean, seriously, he could have _killed_ you and you just took it?" He flings his arms out and gives her an upset look.

"I did _not_ just take it," she hisses, and he suddenly understands that he's offended her quite a lot. That almost manages to replace his anger with amusement, but just almost. "I fought back, but I was not prepared to do things that might handicap him for _the rest of his life_. I could have blinded him, or ruined his legs, or given him bloody _brain damage_. Not to mention how much pain he would have been in." She stops, breathing heavily from the outburst.

"He dislocated your shoulder and you worried about hurting _him_?" He gives her a suspicious look. "Are you stupid or something?"

"You don't get it." She grinds her teeth and glares at him with flaring eyes. "That was _Casey_. He goes to my school, my best friend has a crush on him, he defends kids from bullies! He doesn't deserve something like that."

"But you didn't even know it was him."

"That's the point!" She sighs, rubbing her temples. "Look at it this way: if you and your brothers only knew how to fight by either killing or gravely injuring people for life, then Angel, Timothy, Casey and possibly even me would all have been severely hurt because of you." She removes her hands and looks at him, and Raph unintentionally recoils a little. The hesitance in her eyes is gone, replaced by burning determination and anger. "Would you be able to live with yourselves knowing that you have brought that kind of pain on people you don't know by the slightest, people who possibly don't even deserve it?"

He wants to argue, to tell her that she is wrong, but finds himself at a loss of word. Wasn't this precisely what he told Casey the other night, that you can't just beat people down without any mercy? And as a ninja he was supposed to honour his opponents, and defeating them through ruthless, bloodthirsty techniques certainly wasn't very honourable. He swears under his breath, not ready to admit himself beaten yet.

In the middle of the dojo his brothers and April bow and thanks for the lesson before taking off at the door, scrambling over and around each other in their attempts to reach the bathroom, and specifically the shower, first.

"Hey!" April calls. "Haven't you guys ever heard of ladies first?"

"Oh right." Mikey comes to an abrupt stop, looking apologetically behind him. "I'm so sorry. Donnie, you go ahead."

"Hey!"

All four of them vanish out the door, still squabbling between themselves, and are soon followed by Splinter, heading for the kitchen and a nutritious breakfast. There should be at least half an hour before the shower is free (unless he punches his way pas Don and Mikey, but he doesn't feel like doing that today) so he has got some time to kill.

"Okay," Raph decides as Mona starts to get up. "If you refuse to defend yourself with the techniques you already know, I have no other choice but to teach you some new ones." She comes to a stop and gives him a puzzled look.

"Are you being serious?"

"I'm not really the joking kind," he says dryly. "So are you in on it?"

"Sure. I mean, if it's okay with you and everything." She twirls her hair, confidence vaporizing along with her indignation.

"Well, I _was_ the one who suggested it," Raph points out, getting on his feet. His face is still hurting, but at least the world has stopped spinning. "Come on, let's get this over with."

He stomps out on the training mats, gesturing for her to follow. She does so, hands clasped behind her back and eyes curiously trailing him.

"Okay," he says, turning back to her. "Take a stance."

She hesitates and furrows her brows before sliding her feet apart and raising her fists in front of her face, peering at him between her hands. "Like this?"

He slowly circles around her, pokes her elbow to get it in place and nudges her left foot to make sure she is balanced. He's not sure what to do about the tail, though. Neither he nor his brothers have ever been trained to use tails (mainly because they _haven't got_ any) so he doesn't know how to direct her on that point. It could be useful if she's able to use it in battle, but it might be sensitive. Didn't lizards' tails fall of if injured? He guesses that could hurt quite a lot. She cranes her neck, looking at him where he stands and ponderingly stares at her tail.

"Having fun?" she asks dryly, tail suddenly whipping back and forth in a way that reminds of an angry cat. Raph flusters, quickly righting himself.

"You're not standing straight enough," he mutters, putting a hand on her lower back and pushing slightly to correct her posture. She flinches and snaps her head back and he hurriedly pulls his hand away and clears his throat. "Okay, so to be able to defend yourself you need to know how to, uh, _punch_." She raises a brow.

"Really? I thought I'd just stare my opponents down." She's looking more comfortable now, face and shoulders not as tense and eyes no longer avoiding his. Figures she had to be a smart-ass when relaxed.

"Don't be witty with me," he grumbles. "Besides, kick works too." She shrugs, smirking at him behind raised hands.

Raph shakes off the uncomfortable tingling sensation her eyes are giving him and places himself in front of her, mimicking her stance (minus the tail). Without giving her a chance to say anything he pounces, aiming a fist at her jaw. Mona's eyes widen as she quickly ducks and covers her head with her arms.

"What are you _doing_?" she shrieks, diving to the side to avoid another punch. "I though you were going to teach me!"

"I believe in practical learning," he smirks, but stops attacking and circles her slowly. "Now get up. You can't fight anyone if you're lying on the ground crying."

She grumbles something about how she'll make him cry and heaves herself up, looking more ready this time around. He nods.

"Good. Never let your opponent catch you off guard or bring you out of balance." He charges and she ducks again, but he stops her with a hand to her stomach and pushes her back lightly. She gasps and stumbles, glaring at him. "And don't use the same techniques over and over again. That's called _predictable._"

"I don't know any techniques," she growls, staying at a safe distance. "I'm going on instinct here."

"Attack," he orders, and she raises an eyebrow. "Go on, I don't bite." He flicks his fingers teasingly at her and she grimaces, but lunges for him and attempts to throw a punch at his nose. He blocks it easily, catching her wrist and twisting it but letting go when she wheezes. "That's a block and a wrist lock," he explains as she sulkily rubs her arm. "If you want to win a fight it's as important _not_ to get hit as it is to actually strike your challenger. Try again."

He shows her a few more blocks, both for kicks and punches, before striking at her again and making her repeat them to avoid getting hit. She's stronger and faster than he had thought, most likely due to her mutation, but still far away from him and his brother's, or even April's, level. As fewer and fewer of his blows are even near to hit their target he ups the speed, making her pant and glower at him between blocks. When he throws a kick at her chest she ducks to the floor, even though he's told her to stay off of the ground as much as possible, and tries to push at his raised leg with her hands to make him lose his balance. He wavers slightly, but quickly shakes his foot loose of her grip. Then she performs some kind of weird spin on the ground, as if attempting to avoid his next move before he's even dealt it, and he snorts amusedly. And that's when something hits the leg he's standing on and makes him fall on his shell.

He yelps involuntarily as he crashes down, his carapace taking most of the blow and limbs flying through the air. Something green and yellow passes in front of him and then Mona is back on her feet, trying to hide a smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she says, eyes wide. "Did I take you by surprise?"

Raph snarls and jumps back up before he closes up on her. "You used your tail! That's cheating!"

She starts to back away from him, but then her face turns red at his words and she stops and stares crossly at him. "It is not! It's not like it's cheating for you to use your shell!"

"What the – I don not use my shell!" he scowls, not understanding her point but guessing he won't like it.

"Yeah, and I bet no one's ever tried to punch you and broken their hand on it." She stares challengingly at him and crosses her arms.

"That's their own bloody fault. I can't help it if they're too stupid to notice I have a shell before they hit."

"Well I can't help it if you don't notice that a big, green _tail_ is coming flying at you!"

They're both fuming, staring each other down. Then she suddenly blinks and seems to realize what's going on. Her already red face turns a pinkish nuance as she steps away from him. Raph follows her with his eyes, surprised to see her back down.

"What, you're giving up?" he says accusingly. She stops and glances at him, hesitance and amusement battling for superiority in her brown eyes.

"I thought you didn't want to fight a cheater," she drawls.

"I didn't say that," he says, grinning at her. "I just said you did." She stares at him and a slow smile spreads across her lips.

* * *

"So what, he just sits there all day?"

"Actually I think it's more like floating."

"Whatever." Angel leans forward, lightly tapping the glass to Timothy's jar. "Can he hear us?"

"Don't know." Mikey shrugs and leans in closer next to Angel. "Hey, Tim, can you hear us in there?" Two grey eyes blink lazily and stare out at them.

"What are you doing here?"

Mikey and Angel jump, turning around to see Donnie stand in the door and glare at the youngest turtle.

"She woke up and was about to smash the door," Mikey says, gesturing to the purple-haired girl. "So I went in to keep her company." Angel crosses her arms and glare back at Donnie.

"Yeah, who do you think you are, locking me up in here all night?" Her voice is fuming from ill hid anger. Mikey has never met anyone quite as touchy as her, that including Raph, but at least she's better company than the red masked turtle.

"You did agree on staying her over the night," Donnie points out.

"But I didn't agree on you locking the door," she counters.

"Don always padlocks the door to the lab," Mikey chimes in.

"There's a _reason_ for that, knucklehead!"

"Hey, if you keep fireworks in here you should mark the box!"

"I did!"

"Oh yeah," Mikey remembers, a grin spreading across his face. "That's why I took them." It had really been a lot of fun to set them off, seeing everyone scramble out-of-the-way and scream at the top of their lungs. A smoked filled lair, broken furniture and the following two weeks of extra chores hadn't been as exciting.

"You've got fireworks?" Angel breathes. "Where?"

"Maybe I should lock you in somewhere _outside _of the lab next time," Donnie grumbles, stomping over to his desk.

"If you lock me in anywhere ever again I'll break your puny legs," Angel threatens. The two resorts to an almost friendly squabble and Mikey gets left out. He huffs and stares at them, but neither pay him any attention. Bored, he turns back to Timothy.

"I bet you're fed up with being stuck in there," he says, sighing. "We couldn't leave this place for the first fifteen years of our lives, so I totally get how you feel, bro." He nods solemnly, but there is something extremely unsatisfying with having a conversation with someone who can in no way answer you. Mikey's shoulders slumps a little. "April told me you were part of this comic book club back at your high school," he says, getting comfortable and leaning his chin in his hands. "I'd love to be in a club, especially one about comic books, and I'd be awesome at school too. Everyone would love me, 'cause I'm the Mikester." He flashes a smile, but it quickly fades away when he notices the way Tim is looking at him; unblinking, staring. "You can hear me, can't you?"

Timmy blinks once and Mikey sighs.

"You know, I thought it was kind of cool when we first met you. The way you admired us, and thought we were like superheroes. Most other humans we run into either scream or try to kill us, April and Murakami being the exception. But you were actually _glad_ to see us…" He quiets down, looking sadly at the grey eyes. Sure, Timothy had been very, very annoying, but he wasn't _that_ bad. He could be kind of fun, in a clumsy sort of way, and he was stupidly brave, and the fact that he had accepted them, no questions asked, had been enough to prove that he was better than many of the more _bright _humans up there. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, bro. I guess Donnie was right; we should have gotten you out of the Foot Clan the first chance we got." A smile suddenly tugs at the corners of his mouth and he lets his face shine up in a bright grin. "I could read you some comic books," he chimes. "To give you something to do." Tim's eyes blink again, but Mikey can swear that there's something shining in them that wasn't there before.

A sudden beeping noise wakes him up from his one-sided conversation. He turns around and sees Angel drop her argument in favour to curiously walk over to one of the many computer screens. "What's that?" she inquires, staring at the blinking and beeping screen. Donnie tiredly looks up from what he had been trying to work on.

"That's just the security," he says, waving it off. "Someone must be doing work down in the sewers."

Mikey bounces up and rushes over to the computer so fast the world reels around him. "Maybe Leatherhead is back!" Angel stumbles out-of-the-way as he pushes past her and grasps the screen on both sides. "Leatherhead, are you out there?" he shouts, violently shaking the computer.

"Stop that!" Donnie calls, trying to pry Mikey's hands loose. "You're breaking it!"

"Who's Leatherhead?" Angel curiously asks and tries to peek over their shoulders. "Is he another mutant?"

"You bet he is!" Mikey lets go of the screen and Donnie falls face first over keyboard when the resistance suddenly disappears. "He's this totally awesome mutant alligator who's fighting the Kraang," Mikey squeals, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "You are going to love him!" Angel blinks.

"No she's not," Donnie grumbles, clicking some buttons to make the beeping vanish and a camera feed fill the screen. "He's trapped in another dimension and these are just some regular workers."

"Another dimension?" Angel echoes, eyes sparkling. "No one said anything about another dimension." Donnie gulps.

"Er, forget I ever said that," he hastily covers.

"It's not him?" Mikey lets Angel go and leans in over the screen, seeing some very human people walk around in the sewers. He feels his smile vaporize into thin air. "But I thought…"

"Hang on a second." Donnie's eyes narrow as he stares at the people on the screen. "Those aren't workers… oh god." He recoils, staring in horror at the camera feed.

"What?" Mikey sniffs and glances back, still hoping to see a giant alligator come crashing through the humans.

"Those are the exact same kind of night vision goggles that Bishop wore," Donnie whispers, and Mikey vaguely recalls April mentioning something about a Bishop.

"That dude who attacked us the other night?" he asks, but his brother doesn't answer.

"But they aren't even on the market yet!" Donnie rushes over to his workbench and picks up a pair of complicated, clumsy-looking goggles. "These are way more advanced than anything you can buy," he mumbles, starting to pace the room. "How would some ordinary workers get hold of something like that? You'd have to be in the military, or some kind of special force…" His voice gets lower as he ponders, forgetting about the others present.

"Does he get like that a lot?" Angel asks.

"You'd be surprised," Mikey states.

Donnie's head jerks up and he hurries over to the screen again, staring intently at it. His eyes widen. "They are putting up cameras," he breathes.

"Sweet!" Mikey grins. "We'll be on TV!"

"No you idiot, we'll be caught." Donnie punches in some controls and more camera feeds show up on the screen, almost all of them sporting dark-clad people sneaking about. "They're putting them up all over the sewers," Donnie whispers.

"I'm guessing that's not good," Angel says, raising a brow. Donnie's face is dark enough to frighten Mikey.

"You're guessing correctly. I need to talk to Leo."

* * *

Angel wouldn't forgive him. How could she forgive him? Casey hides his face in his hands, pulling at his dark hair and feeling his insides shiver.

He understands her reaction, he himself would've been furious, but he simply can't grasp it. She is his baby sister in everything but blood. Whenever her mother drank too much she came over to him, when she needed advise she came to him, when she had problems in school, both with homework and with bullies, she came to him. He had taught her how to throw a punch, how to block and how to kick and how to disable your opponent, just to make sure the jerks would leave her alone when he started high school. She had always been overconfident and cocky, always challenging him and finding one way or another to make his life all the more complicated, like any little sister would. But she had always been there for him; comforted him when his dad died, helped him control his anger. She even came to watch his hockey games.

Sure, she'd been a bit distant lately, but he figured he'd just give her her space. After all, he if anyone understood the importance of keeping secrets. But had never expected her secret to be something like this.

He wishes he could be angry with her, that he had the right to reprimand her for doing something as utterly stupid as becoming a Purple Dragon, but he knows he can't, not after nearly killing her, whether he meant to or not. He'll never have the right to lecture her ever again. He'll just have to hope the turtles, April and Mona can get to her. They got to him, after all.

He sits up on his bed and pushes the hair out of his face. Mona still hadn't forgiven him either, she'd just said she'd think about it. He groans, grabs for a pillow and flings it at the opposite wall. It hits the wall with a low _pfff_ and brings one of his posters with it down to the floor. Casey growls deep inside his chest, gets up and gives the pillow a violent kick. It doesn't help. That horrible, churning feeling in his stomach is still there, still making him feel nauseous.

He roars as he grabs a chair, and then a lamp, a book and everything else in his reach. His muscles are burning, vibrating, but he can't hit the streets the way he has always done when feeling like this. What if he hurts someone innocent again? Mona's face flashes before his eyes, and he snarls as he sends his alarm clock whirling into the wall. The poor thing breaks in half, tiny machinery spilling onto the floor.

He sinks down on his bed again, rage finally subsiding. The room is in havoc before him; posters with band members hanging crookedly on the wall, a chair lying on its side over the rug and various schoolbooks and other items strewn carelessly over the floor. Thank god his mum wasn't home to hear him or she'd convince him to see a shrink. Then again, a neighbour might complain and then she'd find out anyway. He moans and leans his head against the wall, wondering how on earth he manages to constantly mess things up like this.

Mona was such a nice girl. He had barely even said two words to her before last night, but the more he thinks about it the more he understands that if anyone doesn't deserve to end up under his hockey stick, then it's her. It wasn't just that she never were directly mean to anyone, but the fact that she seemed to despise the petty, cruel gossip the other girls loved so much. He remember passing them by in the corridor, seeing her wrinkle her nose and giving a death glare to a girl who were degrading someone else's clothes in a giggling, whispering tone. Mona couldn't be mean to anyone even if she knew they'd never find out; that was just who she was. Sweet, caring, empathic, always wearing that telltale pink scarf around her neck…

He stops himself, an idea suddenly reeling through his head. Angel might never forgive him, but maybe there was a way to get to Mona…

* * *

Casey doesn't know if he's welcome back in the turtles' lair. Leo hadn't told him to stay away when he showed him the way out, but he certainly hadn't asked him to come back any time soon either. Casey doubts they'd go as far as to literally throw him out, Splinter had raised them too well for that, but there are other ways to make someone feel unwelcome. He sighs, hopping the turnstiles and heading down the stairs. On hand unconsciously snakes down the pocket of his coat, feeling soft fabric brush his fingers.

Please let this work.

The living room is empty but for one single turtle, sitting on the floor only inches from the TV and watching some sci-fi show with wide, admiring eyes. Casey glances at him, thinking it must be Mikey, but then recognises the blue mask around his head. He furrows his brows. "Leo?"

The turtle jumps and reflexively reaches for the swords on his back, but comes to a stop when he notices Casey standing at the base of the stairs, staring at him. "Oh," he blinks, "it's just you." Casey huffs indignantly, fingers curling in his pocket.

"Yeah, it's me."

"I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Leo casts a longing gaze at the TV before turning it off with a sigh. "Here to talk to Angel?" Casey feels his stomach turn cold.

"She's still here?"

"In the lab with Donnie and Mikey." Leo gestures to the room in the back. "She wanted to head back home, but Splinter convinced her to stay here over the night, just to be sure no angry Purple Dragons or Foot idiots were waiting at her apartment." He shrugs and gives Casey a confused look. "So if you didn't come here for her sake, then why are you here?"

"Maybe I just came for a friendly visit."

"Really?"

"No."

Leo sighs and slumps down on the sofa. "So what's up?"

"I want to talk to Mona."

Leo studies him for a minute, and Casey forces himself to stand steady. The turtle finally shrugs. "If you say so. She's in the kitchen with Raph. Better not get him angry," he warns before turning the TV back on. Casey can swear he sees an expression of glee pass over the oldest turtle's face as a poorly animated spaceship soars through a starlit sky. _Some ninja…_

The low rustle of conversation reaches him as he pushes the sheet hanging in the kitchen door aside and enters the room. Two faces look up at him, both equally green and both smiling. Mona blinks once when she notices it's him and then her smile's gone.

"What are you doing here?" Raph grumbles.

Casey decides there's no point in answering and simply pulls his hand out of the pocket, tossing the piece of cloth to Mona. Her hands fly up and catches it reflexively, pink fabric spilling over her fingers. Her jaw goes slack and her hands tremble slightly. Raph stares at her, and then shifts his gaze back to Casey with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"What's that?" he inquires with a low, threatening voice.

"It's my mum's," Mona whispers, staring at the scarf with awe as she cradles it in her hands. "How did you get this?" She looks up at Casey with tears gleaming in the corners of her eyes. He shifts uncomfortably under her gaze.

"I went to talk to your grandparents," he explains, with a grimace remembering the awkward meeting earlier that day. "I told them I was your friend and that you had borrowed something from me before you vanished and I wanted it back." He shrugs helplessly, hoping she won't be insulted that he tricked his way into her home.

"They believed that?" she asks disbelievingly.

"I don't think they did, no, but did let me check your room." He doesn't mention how uninterested they had looked, as if they didn't care the slightest if she had run away and sent him to pick up her stuff under a hopelessly bad cover, or even if he stole all of her things. The only item he took, though, was the scarf, lying on the nightstand almost as if it had been waiting on him. Before he left he thanked them and said he had found what he was looking for, but they barely even blinked. Damn weird people.

"I guess they never did care too much," Mona mumbles, eyes back on the scarf again. "I never put it on that night," she says softly. "Irma convinced me it didn't go well with the dress and made me leave it at home. I thought I'd never see it again. Thank you." Her voice is so earnest, so clear, as she says it that he understands that this one item means much more to her than what he first imagined when he went to get it. He'd thought it was some sort of signature, not a relic from a long gone parent. He can't help but wonder over her past, how she ended up with those cold people who let him into the apartment.

"I figured it was the least I could do," he mutters. "So there's no need to thank me." She quietly ties the scarf around her neck and gives him a frail smile.

"Then consider us even."

Was that it? Had she forgiven him? He blinks, unable to process her words. Had she really done it, just like that?

"Raph, get out here!" Leo's voice rings through the lair, making all three of them flinch. Mona is still smiling as she follows a grumbling Raph out of the kitchen, fingers still resting on the soft fabric around her neck. Casey only hesitates for a moment before heading out after them.

Angel's in the living room. He comes to a stop and stares at her where she stands between Donnie and Mikey, looking horribly innocent and bruised. She hasn't even noticed him yet, is just listening to Leo with a relaxed look on her black-and-blue face. She's actually relaxed around them. He hadn't expected that.

"Donnie says someone's setting up cameras in the sewers," Leo explains to Raph as he gets ready to leave the lair. "Most likely the same guy who gave us trouble last night."

Casey shudders, remembering the eerie man who had almost shot him. No one had ever shot at him before, not during all of his night-time escapades, and that was the first time he had truly feared for his life. Raph smiles widely.

"And were taking them down?"

"We're taking the _cameras_ down, yes," Donnie says dryly. "Otherwise we won't be able to as much as leave the lair without being spotted. The humans we aren't touching."

"You're so boring," Raph complains.

"I'm coming with you."

They all look up when Casey speaks, Mikey and Donnie gaping. Angel just gives him such a poisonous glare that he almost backs down.

"Where did you come from?" the purple clad turtle inquires, eyes flaring. Casey promptly ignores him.

"I can help you," he insists. "If any of you guys get caught on film they'll now for sure you're down here, and even if you manage to stay in the shadows they'll still know there's something odd with the tunnels. Me, on the other hand…" He smiles and spreads out his hands. "I just put on my mask and they'll think I'm some random vandal who wants to mess with the authorities."

"That'll never work," Donnie states sourly, but the other doesn't look as hesitant.

"He's got a point," Leo ponders.

"What? _No!_ Have you already forgotten what happened last time we got a human involved?" Donnie gestures to his lab, desperately trying to convince the rest of them.

"I say let him go," Angel suddenly says, voice void of all emotion. "Let him get killed for all I care." A moment of silence passes before anyone dare raise their voice. Casey looks away, avoiding Angel's eyes.

"Come on," Leo mumbles. "We're wasting time arguing like this. Casey, you can help if you want, but if you get in the way we're sending you back." Casey nods, still keeping his mouth shut. Donnie's eyes are bulging so much they might just pop out of his skull.

As four turtles and one human leave the lair, Casey can still feel Angel's eyes boring into his back.

* * *

**A/N: I was actually planning on revealing the identity of the roof hopper from Dimension X in this chapter, but then decided to keep you on hold for a little longer. By the next chapter I just might tell you who she is, but there are no promises. There will be action though. I've got lots of action planned for the next update.**

**I can't decide whether I should use my own theory on why the Kraang is after April, or if I should wait to find out in the series before i keep writing (which means that you'd have to wait a little longer between chapters) so it doesn't contradict too much. Damn, this is a hard decision to make...**

**Oh, and the hunters Bishop and the girl mention are my own little invention: they're like mutated slave assassins working for the Kraang. I think I'll give one of them a bigger role later on, but I haven't decided yet...**

**As always, read and review, I am always happy to hear what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7: Trouble

**And here you have chapter seven! The girls are bonding, Casey and Donnie have to cooperate and Angel faces her demons. Plus a lot of the promised action!**

**I know I also promised to reveal the roof hopper girl from Dimension X's identity, but it just didn't fit into this already enormous chapter. But I have something to make up for it: I have made som art based on this fic, one of them portraying the mystery girl. The others are April, Mona and Angel (shouldn't be too hard to tell who's who). If you want to take a look you can find them here at my blog and there is a link in my bio. ****It's the four bottom pictures, the rest are just some random doodles.**

**And now, finally, onto the longest chapter so far.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

* * *

Chapter 7: Trouble

Leo is exhausted. They could have just started from the lair and worked their way out into the sewers, taking down every camera they passed by, but the moment the plan left his mouth Donnie pointed out that that would be just about as smart as leaving a note telling this Bishop guy where they live.

"If they notice all the cameras in a certain area suddenly going out, they'll know for sure something fishy is up, and then they'll search every inch of that part of the sewers," Don had said. "They'd dig us out within a day."

So then they ended up having to walk across the sewer for ages, crisscrossing and ducking between the new surveillance. It took at least three times longer than it would have taken if they had walked in a straight line, but of course that wasn't an option anymore. Thankfully Donnie had managed to make map in his T-phone with the locations of all the cameras, and it gave a low beep every time they got near one (which was about every minute or so). Then they just had to sneak past without getting caught, which sadly was easier said than done.

Casey has absolutely no knowledge about stealth or how to get around in a dark sewer tunnel, and Leo has lost count of how many times he had to reach out and pull the boy back before he stumbled out right in front of a camera. And as if one amateur wasn't enough, Donnie kept throwing ugly glares as Casey, distracting himself from his map and nearly letting them all get captured on film more than once, and Raph and Mikey… well, they were being Raph and Mikey.

By the time Donnie stops, looks around and says "This should do it" Leo is just about ready to run away screaming in the opposite direction from the others.

"Good," he sighs. "Casey, are you ready?"

The boy starts, throwing a glance at Leo through his hockey mask. "Yeah," he nods, hands tightly hugging a borrowed baseball bat. "Let's do this."

He had accidentally left the mask at the lair the previous night, but he had brought all his sports equipment back home so they ended up having to convince Donnie to lend him the bat that used to be attached to Metalhead. The purple-banded turtle was surprisingly hard to persuade, considering that Metalhead was retired and the bat hadn't served much of a purpose anyway. Seriously, the thing had a _flamethrower._ But it was with eyes shooting daggers that Donnie finally gave in, and now he gives Casey yet another glare as the human looks around the dark sewer.

"So, eh, where is it?"

They all turn to Donnie, unable to spot the hidden camera without the help from his map. Don huffs and studies the screen for what seems to be an unreasonably long amount of time, and Raph ends up giving him a smack on the back of the head.

"Ow!" Donnie complains.

"Just hurry so we can get back home already," Raph grumbles, glaring at his younger brother. Donnie mutters to himself as he gives the T-phone another look and then swiftly points ahead of them.

"Up there, behind the pipe."

They work their way around the tunnels, Donnie localizing the cameras and Casey walking up in plain sight and smashing them with the bat. It's tiring and boring, and Leo is starting to question his decision to send all of them out here. Raph and Mikey are whining and complaining constantly, not having anything productive to do, and Donnie, for unknown reasons, keeps up his sulking. Leo could just have borrowed Don's phone and then he and Casey could have taken care of this alone. It would have been faster, and a lot less annoying.

Half an hour and a dozen or so shattered cameras later he finally feels like he took the right decision.

"Stop!" he whispers, grabbing Casey's arm and gesturing to the others. "There are people up ahead."

They all freeze, and for a moment the only sound heard is the constant dripping of sewage. Then a low splash shatters the silence, followed by someone cursing the less than enjoyable surroundings.

"What to do, Fearless?" Raph mumbles, hands clutching for his sai.

Leo gives a soundless sign for them to head back, and his brothers quietly slink into the shadows. Casey gives a confused blink and Leo simply drags him along without a word. They have only been creeping through the dark tunnel for a minute when Donnie comes to a screeching stop and whirls around.

"The other way!" he hisses. "They're coming from here, too!"

Leo feels his stomach getting cold but keeps calm and nods as he tries to figure out what to do. "Don, find an escape route. I'm going to figure out who they are."

"Are you crazy?" Raph whispers. "You can't face them alone!"

"They are probably not even a threat," Leo reasons. "But if they are, we need to know. I'll be careful, okay?" Raph stares at him for a moment, his face dark, and then he snorts.

"Fine, do whatever you want, but don't come crying with me when you get a squad of Foot Ninja on your tail."

"I wasn't planning to," Leo states coldly, taking off through the tunnel. Behind him he hears the others head back before disappearing in an intersection. Soon the sounds of not-so-graceful humans reach him, and he swings up on the pipes to be able to see without being seen. _They are probably just down here to fix some kind of faulty wiring,_ he reasons with himself. _Not everyone going down here has to be an enemy._

But these guys clearly are. Leo hangs upside down and silently watches three people clad in dark coats pass by underneath him, all equipped with night vision goggles and enough guns to take down a rhinoceros. They move slowly and attentively, heads turning back and forth as they examine all crevices in the walls study the ground for tracks. Luckily enough they never look up, and after a minute or so the darkness swallows them up, only the faint sound of splashing water telling Leo that they are still moving onward. He quietly lowers himself down and lands in the water without a sound, and then stands absolutely still for a second, hands on his katana as he listens intently for any sign of an ambush. Cold sewage seeps through the tape on his feet and just as unpleasant water drops from the ceiling and splashes onto the top of his head, but nothing else is heard. He shudders, shrugs off as much water as possible and quickly sneaks down the tunnel after the others, katana drawn and at the ready. Those goggles, weapons, clothes, _everything;_ it was just the same equipment Bishop carried the other night. Leo is not planning on getting taken by surprise twice.

Casey and his brothers haven't gotten far.

"They're everywhere," Mikey hisses as Leo catches up with them. "It's like they know were down here." His eyes grow round enough to nearly pop out of his head. "Guys, I think they're _psychic_!"

"It's Bishop's men," Leo informs them, katana held out in front of him and eyes darting back and forth in search of danger. "They must have noticed their cameras blacking out and come down here to investigate."

The others grow considerably tenser at the mention of Bishop's name, filling the tunnel with the low hiss of weapons being drawn. Casey, being the only one besides Leo who has actually faced Bishop, gets a determined look on his face and raises his bat.

"Then let's get them," he growls. "I have a score to settle."

"I like how you think," Raph praises, grinning and spinning his sai in his hands.

"Are you insane?" Donnie furiously whispers. "Have you forgotten that this guy took us all down in the matter of seconds last time? Do you _want _to get killed?"

The sounds of footsteps reach them and they all put the argument on hold to slip into an intersecting tunnel, Leo having to drag Casey by his collar. As they press against the walls behind some pipes and peer into the dark Raph gives Leo an inquiring look, but Leo desperately shakes his head, hoping that his silent plea is enough to keep his hot-headed brother back. Raph snarls quietly, but then settles to sulk in the dark. Leo breathes a sigh of relief as a dark shadow passes by the almost as dark mouth of the tunnel. It stops and turns their way, eyes hidden by blackness but clearly searching for them. The clumsy silhouette of a gun can be seen clasped in its hands.

Leo holds his breath, one arm reached out over Casey's chest to keep him in place and the other curled around the handle of one of his katana. The blade shivers slightly and Leo curses inwardly over the fact that his hand isn't steady in the prospect of battle. But he must admit to himself: he is scared, terrified, even. This Bishop is more skilled than anything they can deal with, possibly even more so than the Shredder, and there is not a chance that they'd be able to take him down. Last time both Donnie and Mikey were taken out of the picture before they even had a chance to defend themselves, Casey were thrown out-of-the-way like a ragdoll and Leo couldn't get a single hit on the guy even though he was _ready._ The thought of someone getting hold of his brothers, his _family_, without him being able to do anything about it makes Leo feel physically ill. If Bishop finds them he won't be able to protect the ones he loves, and that scares him more than anything.

Finally, just as Leo started to think they were discovered, the figure moves on through the gurgling water and vanishes from Leo's field of view. He lets Casey go with a relieved sigh and gets an infuriated elbow to the ribs as thanks. It seems to hurt the human more than it does Leo, though, since the boy wheezes and hugs his bruised arm close to his chest.

"I say we go for it," Raph insists as they all tear themselves off of the sticky walls. "It'll be like Xever and Bradford; they won't even know we're here before it's too late."

"But Bishop…" Donnie says, looking scared.

"Bro, I don't think that was Bishop," Mikey interferes. "Did you even see that guy who just walked by? Or hear the others in the tunnels? You could hear them from like a mile away." He grins and twirls his nunchucks. "They are so not like Bishop; that guy was a ghost, an _angry_ ghost."

Leo blinks, taking in what Mikey just said and suddenly seeing the situation in a whole new light. He had heard those men long before they were in eyesight, and even though they were moving through a nearly pitch black tunnel without flashlights they still managed to be seen. They were clumsy and amateurish, not skilled in the way of becoming one with the shadows. Bishop on the other hand was no amateur.

"They're just his henchmen," Leo realizes, a smile spreading across his lips. "Like Shredder and the Foot! Maybe… maybe we _can_ take them!"

"Now you're talking!" Raph grins. "Let's go chase them out of our sewer!"

"_Wait_!" Donnie exclaims somewhere between a whisper and a shout. "Bishop can still be out there, he might just have decided to bring back-up this time!" His eyes are wide but his face is determined, and he is effectively blocking Raph's path. "We should stay away; facing them is too dangerous."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Raph growls. "They're all over the place; we're not getting back to the Lair unless we get through them, and it's daylight so it's not like we can take to the rooftops." He gestures angrily towards the tunnel they came from. "Now get out of my way before something bad happens."

"Leo, please!" Donnie begs. "You got to see that this is too risky! We'll just have to take our chances with the city and head up topside!"

Leo hesitates and glances at the tunnel, almost expecting to see one of the shady figures standing there with its gun trained on them, but the opening is of course empty. He feels a rush of anger, furious over having to cover like this on his own grounds. These people didn't have the right to come down here and interfere, to try to dig them out like some kind of gain in a fox hunt. This is their home and they are going to defend it.

"You are right, Don, it is too dangerous" he says slowly, and Donnie briefs a sigh of relief. "Take Casey and get out of here; we'll get rid of these goons."

Casey and Donnie exclaim a mutual "What?!" and gives each other equally terrified looks.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Casey argues.

"If you're not going Donnie will just have to carry you."

"I most certainly will not!" Donnie snaps, looking affronted.

"Could you babies stop your whining so we can get this done already?" Raph inquires. "I'm getting bored, and that's no good for anyone." At this Mikey subtly takes a few steps away from his older brother.

"Listen, Bishop is probably not here since they think it's just some vandal messing with them, so there's not really anything to worry about," Leo says. "But Casey, you're not a ninja and not ready for a fight like this, and then there's the risk that Bishop might actually show up. Donnie, get him to the closest manhole cover and make sure he doesn't just go back down in another one, okay?" He gives Don a pleading look and silence momentarily fills the sewers. Then his brother grumbles crossly and takes off through the tunnels.

"I said, I'm _not going_," Casey insists, crossing his arms and looking stubborn.

"If you don't come quietly I'll use the tracker I placed on your bike to track it down and personally take it apart piece by piece," Donnie threatens, and Casey grows pale and takes off after him.

"_You placed a tracker on my bike_?" Leo hears him hiss as the two of them vanish in the dark, and he briefly questions his decision to send away Donnie instead of any of the other to, considering the odd way the purple-banded turtle had been acting around the human. But it was the best solution; if he sent Raph the two of them would probably have sneaked off somewhere looking for trouble, and Mikey would've gotten them lost. He realizes that he could have gone himself, but quickly pushes the thought aside. He is the leader, and as such it is his responsibility to stay where the battle is. Besides, Casey was getting on his nerves.

"Come on," he mutters and takes off in the opposite direction. He can sense Mikey and Raph give each other a look before they follow, and for just a moment he wonders if this is the right decision.

* * *

"So how did you end up with the Purple Dragons?"

April glances at Angel who is sulking in the corner of the couch, arms crossed over her chest and knees pulled up almost all the way to her chin. "I don't see where that became your business," she snarls, giving April a death glare. April recoils and scoots aside so that she is sitting even farther away from the annoyed girl.

"I guess you've got a point," she mumbles. Angel nods and curls up even more.

She's been acting like this ever since Casey showed up. April feels like getting something big and heavy, like Donnie's laptop, and hitting him over the head with it. Doesn't he understand that Angel need a little time before seeing him again? And she had just started getting comfortable around the guys, having actual conversations with both Mikey and Donnie, and then of course he had to come and ruin things.

"Listen," April says carefully, "I understand that you're upset about Casey, trust me, I'd be too, but…"

"But what?" Angel grumps. "He nearly hit me over the head with a hockey stick and that's the end of things. I am _not_ talking to him again. _Ever_," she adds with finality. April deflates slightly.

"But he is really sorry," someone suddenly says.

April flinches and looks up, noticing Mona standing awkwardly a few feet away from the couch and giving them a nervous smile. Angel doesn't acknowledge her in any way, but April motions for the lizard girl to come and sit. Mona blinks once and then tiptoes over and carefully slides down on the couch on a safe distance from both of them.

April furrows her brows; she is starting to understand why she can't remember this girl from school. She is so shy, so quiet, that sometimes it feels like she isn't even there at all. April more or less expected her to have a major meltdown, not just because she has been turned into a mutant but because she can never go home, or finish school, and that she is now living in the sewers with mutant ninja turtles and possibly being targeted by an evil ninja clan and a race of interdimensional, alien robots. That would certainly be enough to give anyone quite a shock, but Mona just seems so… composed. She hasn't cried, or screamed (at least not since her arm was put back in place) or panicked about what she has seen, she has just been creeping around in the shadows with a withered look on her face. April is worried that she is keeping everything bottled up and might bring herself into a depression.

With all those thoughts whirling trough her brain April suddenly rises, walks the two steps separating her from Mona, sits back down and envelopes the other girl in a hug. Mona immediately jerks away, but April holds her tight until she carefully hugs her back. They sit like that for a minute, April trying to tell Mona without words that she is there for her and won't let her pull away into herself. Then Angel clears her throat and April let's go with a start. Mona scoots aside and gives April a slightly puzzled look.

"You two are totally weird," Angel says, staring at them with the sulking expression finally gone from her face. April smirks at her.

"Do you want a hug, dear?"

"Come near me and I'll hit you with a crowbar," Angel states, but at least she is smiling a little.

April hesitates; Angel has finally loosened up a little, but the matter with Casey isn't solved yet and is most likely to stir trouble in the immediate future. She doesn't want to pull Angel back down, but they can't just ignore the problem like it's going to vaporise if they nonchalant it long enough.

"You should give Casey a chance," she says, and Angel's face instantaneously closes up.

"She's right," Mona adds. "I promise, he's really sorry about what happened and I'm sure he'll do anything for you to see that."

Angel glowers at them both and April can't help but to recoil a little; that girl really knows how to make the death-glare justice.

"How can he be _sorry_?" she hisses. "It wasn't an accident, guys; he willingly came after me and tried to kill me!"

"But he didn't know it was you," April meddles, even though she can really understand what Angel is getting at; after all, she thought the very same thing last night. But that look in Casey's eyes… he truly did look sorry.

"That doesn't make it right!" Angel explodes. "Even if it wasn't me doesn't mean it's alright to pummel people!"

"You are being childish," Mona suddenly says, something cold creeping into her voice. "You were a gang member and you act like he is the only one who did something wrong. At least he was trying to do something good in a way, even though he used the wrong methods. He wanted to help society; you just wanted easy cash and a status."

Angel's face grows so red that April worries she might faint. The younger girl opens her mouth, closes it and opens it again, seemingly not knowing how to respond to her friend's outburst.

"You were trying to become a member, too," she finally spits, eyes shooting daggers.

"But I'm not trying to justify it!" Mona shouts. "I knew it was wrong but it was the only way I could figure to stay alive!"

"Oh yeah?" Angel screams with a shrill voice, flinging herself out of the couch and heading over to Mona and April. "Are you saying that you're so great that when you do it it's _just fine_, but when I do it, it's horrible and loathsome?"

"Stop it you two!" April exclaims, but neither of the other two as much as look at her. She gives them a desperate look and notices how Mona's face is completely furious. With a start she realizes that this is the exact opposite of what she was worrying about earlier: instead of turning her conflicted feelings on herself and going depressed, Mona is now throwing all her frustration at Angel. And Angel isn't ready to hear something like this, true as it might be. This is going to end badly.

"I am saying that you are blaming everyone but yourself and refuse to see that what you did was wrong!" Mona screams and gets up, shoving her face close to Angel's. The two stare at each other for a second, and then Angel pulls her fist back and punches before April has the time to interfere.

To her surprise Mona's hand shoots out and catches Angel's wrist, using the other girl's own momentum to pull her into an arm lock. Angel growls and tries to wriggle loose, but wheezes when the pain is too much and instead tries to elbow Mona in the face with her free arm.

"_I told you to stop it_!" April shouts, but when they still refuse to acknowledge her she understands that there is only one way to settle this. She rises, pushes her way in between them, grabs their ears and twists. They both gasp and immediately let go of each other. "You are both acting like children!" she scolds and pushes them away from each other.

"Ow ow ow!" Angel whines and tries to pry April's fingers loose. April gives another twist and forces both of them to sit down on the couch.

"Now are you going to act like responsible grown-up?" she asks darkly, and they nod sulkily. She lets them go and puts her hands on her hips, giving them scolding looks. "Mona, screaming does not help, and Angel, she is right." Angel opens her mouth to protest, but April raises her hand threateningly and she clamps it shut again. "It was wrong of Casey to attack you, but that does not justify your actions." Angel's eyes are burning with fury.

"You don't have the right to tell me that, not any of you," she snarls. "Not with your perfect little lives and happy little families and good-girl statuses_._ What makes you so special so you think you have the right to lecture me?"

_What makes you so special?_ April is instantaneously thrown back to her fight with Karai and feels her self-control run off her like water in the sun. "I lost my mother and my father is kidnapped by aliens," she hisses. "I am forced to live in the sewers because the same aliens want to capture me for some evil plan of theirs and a clan of ninja, the same ninja you were a part of, want to use me to get to the guys. My best friends risk their lives every night and I never know if I'll see them alive again, and all because your _friends_ are out there." She leans in closer to Angel and feels a pang of malice as the younger girl recoils. "_My life. Is not. Perfect._"

"People aren't always what you think they are," Mona says softly to Angel. "You shouldn't judge others for trying to help you."

April snaps out of her rage and gives the lizard girl an inquiring look, suddenly understanding that she doesn't know anything about her. Why did she rather go to the Purple Dragons than her family when she was mutated? What could possibly make her think that her parents would prefer her dead over a mutant? Something tells April that Mona's life probably hasn't been all that perfect either.

Angel seems to realize that, too, and deflates on the couch.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm just… I'm confused and I don't know what to think." She runs a hand through her mess of curly, purple hair and moans before glancing up at April. "And I'm sorry about you parents. I – my dad…" she hesitates and pulls in a deep breath. "I know where you're coming from. Sorry for exploding on you like that. You too, Mona."

_Wow, she actually apologised._ April blinks. She still feels a bit hollow after her outburst and don't really know what to say. "It's okay," she says weakly. "I get that you're confused."

"Sorry I screamed," Mona mutters regretfully. "I don't usually lose control like that."

"But you were right." Angel sighs. "Say what, I'll talk to Casey, okay? But no promises on the forgiving part," she adds as an afterthought. "I'm still pretty pissed with him."

April and Mona glance at each other and April feels a soft smile tug at her lips. "That's good enough for me," she decides and sits back down, sandwiching herself between the other two.

A quiet moment passes, awkward silence spreading throughout the lair. April wonders if Splinter heard them arguing, and what he thinks about all of this. She smiles wryly; suddenly having a group of teenage girls roaming in one's home must be quite a shock for someone who has only ever had sons. But then of course, there was Miwa, but she was so young…

"You do know that that nerdy guy is crazy about you, right?" Angel suddenly says. April's eyes snap to her and she smiles sheepishly. "What? I hate awkward silences."

"You mean Donnie?" April says, knowing exactly who Angel means but trying to postpone having to answer.

"He's the one in purple, isn't he?"

"Well, yeah."

"He's got this flow chart called his 'Master plan' covering all possible ways of how to hang out with you." Angel smiles evilly. "And just wait till you see the picture he's got on his laptop."

April stares at her for a second, thoughts reeling, all of them trying to get out all at once. "You've gone through his lab?" is the one that wins.

"I _was_ locked in there the entire night." Angel shrugs. "I was bored. So how about it, did you already know or did I just ruin the surprise?"

April hesitates. She really wasn't aware of any 'Master plan' or some picture of her on his laptop, but his infatuation? Oh please. "Of course I knew," she mutters. "It's not like he's very subtle about it." Angel giggles.

"Figures that the nerdy one had to be the one falling for you. Personally I would have preferred the one in red, what's his name? Raphael?"

"Donnie isn't a nerd," April says, first after a few seconds realizing that she is defending him. "He is more of a geek," she adds, huffing inwardly.

"I honestly can't see the difference." Angel smiles and shrugs. "Are you going to go for it?"

"No," April answers without a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Really?" Angel says, looking surprised. Then something suspicious creeps into her face. "It isn't because of the whole mutant thing, is it?"

"Actually, no." It's not like she hasn't thought about it and taken the whole 'mutant thing' into consideration: if she and Donnie were to become a couple it'd be a really strange relationship. They'd never be able to go and watch a movie, or go out dancing or eat dinner at a nice pizza place. But those are all things she can deal with. The actual reason? "This is not the right time for me to be struggling with a relationship. My dad is kidnapped, as you remember, and I am being hunted. I have enough to deal with as it is."

"So you have no problems at all with him being what he is?" Mona asks, brows raised.

_What he is_? It takes April a moment to understand what the other girl meant, and when she does she is surprised to realize that she hasn't ever really though about it before. Whenever she has thought about the guys' mutations it has revolved around the consequences it brings, not their actual appearances as turtles. After the initial shock she hasn't even been fully aware of how different they are; being around them feels like being around any human. Sometimes it even feels better; most humans are more monsters than they are.

"No, I don't," she says slowly as the revelation goes up for her. "Actually I couldn't care less about him being a mutant." A quick look flashes in Mona's eyes and April understands that she subconsciously might have had an ulterior motive with the question. She must be upset about being a mutant, not only because it freaks her out but because it will freak all possible acquaintances, including boyfriends, out in the future. April feels a pang of compassion for the poor girl, but the look in her eyes has already passed and she decides not to mention it.

"Then I don't see why you don't go for it," Angel says. "I mean, if you like him and he likes you, then why not?"

"I already told you, having an alien invasion to deal with is enough," April insists. "Besides, he's my best friend. I could never jeopardize that for some stupid short-term relationship."

Angel is quiet for a moment, a pondering look on her face. "You know, Donnie mentioned something about an alien invasion too, but he refused to tell me anything about it." She turns to April and smiles widely. "Care to share?"

No one's told her? April scoots aside as Angel leans in closer, but can't really get anywhere since Mona is blocking the way. "If he didn't want to tell you then I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for it," she says.

"Oh come on," Angel says, waving it aside. "He's just being all paranoid and thinking I'll run back to the Foot and tell them everything I know."

_Seems like a valid reason to me_. April flinches and scolds herself. How is Angel supposed to trust them if they don't trust her? She can't go back to the Foot; Shredder would kill her, so right now they are the only ones she's got to keep her safe.

"I'm kind of curious about the whole invasion thing, too," Mona carefully chimes in. "I still don't really know anything about these Kraang people."

April wavers, and then makes a flash decision before she has the time to change her mind. "Angel, if you do tell Shredder about _any_ of this I'll personally gut you, get it?" Angel looks unnervingly gleeful for someone who's just been threatened about being gutted.

"Sure thing," she chirps and smiles that smug smile of hers. April sighs and gets comfortable, starting to tell them everything she knows about the Kraang and hoping she's doing the right thing.

* * *

Donnie suspects that he might strangle Casey sometime in the near future. Actually, it doesn't necessarily have to be strangling; drowning or crushing would work just as well, or pretty much any other fate that involves a lot of screaming and flailing of limbs. Maybe he can take the baseball bat back and whack him over the head with it, or use his naginata to impale his body. The possibilities are endless.

But right now the strangling thing feels the most tempting; at least that would shut him up.

"I can't believe we're just running away like this!" Casey whines. "It's just so… so… cowardly!"

"You couldn't stay down there or you'd get hurt," Donnie says, trying to stay composed as he peeks out the alley and sees a street full of people. "Oh, sewer apples," he mutters. The alley is empty but for some greasy dumpsters, and he quickly retreats behind them. Faint sunlight reaches through the surrounding buildings, illuminating the graffiti covered walls and bringing to light all the little things Donnie never has a chance to see during the night, but there is no time to explore now.

"I can defend myself!" Casey keeps up his rambling, unaware of Donnie's dilemma. "I could be of use instead of hiding out up here like some kind of wimp."

"Self-preservation isn't the same thing as being wimpy," Donnie mutters absentmindedly. He could just leave Casey here and go back down to help his brothers, but the chance of the stupid boy just climbing down some other manhole if he's left alone is far too great. Maybe he can send him home and follow from the rooftops to make sure he doesn't try and make a run for it? No, problem is that _if_ he makes a run for it there's nothing Donnie can do to stop him, not with all these people around. He grumbles to himself and starts pacing behind the dumpsters, trying to figure something out.

"Dude, could you stop that? You're driving me crazy!" Casey snaps and Donnie comes to a screeching halt.

"Be quiet!" he fumes. "I'm trying to think!"

"Trying is the right word," Casey mutters, sulkily crossing his arms and glaring right back. Then he blinks once and stares at something over Donnie's head. "Hey, are there usually cameras in the allies?"

Donnie twirls around and feels his insides go cold. A surveillance camera is neatly hidden between the metal bars of a fire escape, gleaming lens aimed straight at the manhole cover. No one puts up cameras in random alleyways without a good reason. He swears and glances around, panic rising and making him pant. There are hundreds of manhole covers spread throughout the city, but of course Bishop had put surveillance on this particular one. His men are probably still working their way through streets and allies, covering as much ground as possible. How many supplies does this guy have? To put up a camera guarding every cover must cost hundreds, _thousands,_ of dollars. Who could possibly…

"Hey!" Casey calls, snapping Donnie out of his desperate train of thoughts. "Are you awake in there?" He starts to knock on Donnie's head, but Donnie easily catches his wrist, too distracted to even be insulted.

"We need to get out of here," he decides, letting go of a squirming Casey's hand. "Bishop must already know we're here. Go home. I'll head back and warn my brothers."

"Not a chance!" Casey exclaims. "I can't just leave you guys!" Donnie grinds his teeth. They haven't got the time for this.

"Just do as I say!" he growls through clenched jaws.

"No," Casey states.

There are dozens of cars passing by outside of the alley every second, all of them roaring and screeching, but suddenly something out on the street claims Donnie's attention. He peeks out from behind the dumpsters just as the sound of a lone, creeping car dies away and a black van comes to a stop on the sidewalk. And of course it just has to be covering the only way out. Donnie swears again and draws his bo.

"Come on!" He lunges for the manhole cover but is forced to retreat when something hits the metal, sending spark flying through the air. A man has left the van and is aiming a gun at them as he quickly approaches, a second projectile flying through the air so fast Donnie can't see whether it's a bullet or a tranquilizer dart. Either way, he doesn't want to get hit. "On second thought, take the fire escape! Hurry!"

For once Casey is quick to obey, face pale as he half runs, half stumbles toward the ladder, trying to reach it but to no avail. Don rushes toward him and gives one of the dumpsters a kick so it clumsily rolls out into the alley, giving them a little cover from the crazed human. He comes to a stop next to Casey and gives the fire escape a quick glance before intertwining his finger, creating a makeshift ladder. Thankfully the stressful situation is enough to make Casey accept the help without complaining, and he puts his boot in Donnie's clasped hands without a word. Somewhere deep inside his mind Donnie shudders at the contact with Casey's dirty shoes, covered in sewer water and whatever disgusting things he might have stepped on while in the alley. But right now the he is in ninja-mode, and all excessive thoughts are pushed aside. When he lunges Casey up toward the fire escape he barely even notices the dirt covering the tape on his hands and fingers.

Running footsteps crunch on the asphalt and Donnie spins around at the same time the human rounds the dumpster. Both of them fire at once, Donnie flinging away two shuriken and the man aiming his gun straight at him. Don's brain picks up on the little details almost automatically as he ducks the projectile, noticing the mans ice-cold face and belt covered with an impressive amount of blades, flashlights, guns and other objects Donnie can't even identify. He never saw Bishop very clearly that night in the jewellery store, but this mans cold efficiency tells him it's the same guy.

Both his shuriken hit home and as Donnie kicks off the wall and swings his way up the fire escape he hears the man grunt and the gun clatter to the ground in pieces. He hurriedly reaches down and gives the still struggling Casey a hand, pulling him up on the platform before tacking off up the steps as fast as he can. A minor explosion is heard, and then several more as bullets ricochet between the metal bars. He covers his head and can through ringing ears just take in the sound of Casey screaming as they half climb, half run up the steps. Okay, so that first, more subtle, weapon was the tranquilizer gun. This thing is the real deal.

The sounds of fired bullets vanish after only a couple of seconds and for a moment Donnie dares hope that Bishop has given up. Screams and shouts from the street reach him, and even though he's running for his life his brain still makes up a theory of what has happened. The humans on the street have clearly heard the shots, so maybe Bishop understood that one of them, possibly quite a lot of them, has called the police, and decided to make a run for it since the chance of him hitting Donnie and Casey on the fire escape is fairly small, even if he has a good aim. Maybe they are safe and can head back down another manhole cover in a block or so.

His hopes are shattered when the fire escape rustles and more running steps are heard, clanging against the metal. Donnie feels like screaming when he looks down and sees Bishop swing himself up onto the lowest platform and starts off up the steps so fast he's almost turning blurry, but he turns his frustration into action and makes his legs pump harder.

They reach the roof in what must be record time, Donnie breathing heavily and Casey panting so hard he can barely run. Don has sprinted several paces by the time he notices that the boy is falling behind, and curses under his breath as he turns back and grabs his arm.

"Come on, we need to hurry!"

"I'm – running – as fast as – I can!" Casey wheezes, stumbling on ahead.

The rattling of metal reaches Donnie's ears and reflexively pulls another shuriken, launching it at Bishop the moment he climbs up on the roof. The man hasn't got the time to react before the weapon hits his gun and sends it spinning back down the alley. He turns away from it, and for a moment he and Donnie stand absolutely still, staring at each other with only the sound of a panting Casey and screaming people breaking the silence. Donnie's muscles are locked and even though he wants to rush after Casey he can't move, mesmerized by the man's cold expression. It's like staring into the eyes of a cobra. An evil cobra.

Then distant police sirens break the spell and Donnie is jerked back into reality. He starts running only an instant after Bishop and catches up with Casey just as the boy reaches the end of the roof. Donnie jumps without thinking, flying through the air and landing with a roll on the other side. It takes a moment before he realizes no one is running alongside him.

He turns back and immediately spots Casey, standing on the edge of the building and staring at the gap with wide eyes. _Dammit._

"Don't look down!" he screams. "Just jump!" Casey looks up at him, eyes frantic.

"I can't jump that far!" Behind him Bishop is advancing with inhuman speed.

"_JUMP!_"

Casey gulps and takes a few steps back, coming even nearer the other human, and then he starts running with his eyes glued on Donnie. It can't take more than a fraction of a second for him to reach the end of the roof and lunge into the air, but it feels like an eternity. Time slows down, and as Donnie can do nothing but watch he sees Casey fly through an arch, arms flailing and hair flowing. Donnie's immediately sees that he won't make it.

"_Casey_!" he screams, taking off back the way he come even though every fibre of his being tells him to keep fleeing. He sees the boy's eyes widen as he realizes that his jump is too short, sees him start thrashing his arms and legs wildly and let go of the bat as he reaches for the building. The weapon falls out of sight between the roofs.

Casey hits the wall chest first and his fingers immediately starts to claw at the edge of the roof, trying to keep him up but not finding anything to hold on to. A thin trail of blood is left as the rough cement tears up his skin and his panicked scream pierces the air and sends the time back up to normal speed again.

"Hold on!" Donnie shouts and slides to a stop next to Casey's bleeding, sliding hands.

"Donnie!" he screeches. "_Get me up getmeupgetmeup_!"

It's to no surprise that he is heavy, but the sudden weight is still more than enough to make Donnie loose his balance. He grunts as he pulls with all his might, burrowing Casey's hands in his own and hearing the sound of Casey's shoes scraping at the side of the building. A head peeks up over the edge, then a pair of shoulders, and just as Donnie gives a final tug a shadow flies by in the corner of his eyes. With Casey still reeling from the experience Donnie throws his last shuriken at Bishop, but this time he is ready and easily ducks it. The sun gleams on the metal as the throwing star vanishes over the edge of the building, probably scaring the hell out of some human down on the street.

There is no longer any point in running; Bishop is clearly faster and Casey is already on his reserves. Donnie gulps and holds his bo up in front of him, heart beating so fast he can feel the pulse in his fingers.

"You don't want to do this," he warns. "The police will be here any second and they won't go easy on someone firing a gun only a few feet away from a crowded street." His fingers hug the bo so hard that they start to go numb when Bishop smiles.

He actually _smiles._

"I wouldn't worry about that," he says, voice low and soft with a blade hidden underneath. "Unlike certain others, what I do is completely legal. My men should be taking care of it right now." He gestures towards the roof they came from, inviting Donnie to lose his concentration by looking himself. Donnie glares at him and tries not to show how terrified he is.

"If you want him you'll have to go through me!" Casey stumbles up in front of Donnie and raises his hands threateningly, even though he's still shivering. "Touch him and die," he hisses.

"_What are you doing_?" Donnie tries to push him out-of-the-way, but Casey stubbornly staggers back.

"It's you he's after," he mumbles through clenched jaws. "You run and I'll hold him back."

"_Are you insane_?" This boy was just insanely stupid. Damn it that his stupidity had to come out as braveness; this reminds Donnie way too much of Timothy. If he wouldn't leave Casey behind before he'd rather die than do it now.

"Haven't we already gone trough this?" Casey and Donnie stop struggling when Bishop speaks up, his cold voice making Donnie cold to the bone. "This isn't your fight, boy. Leave now and we'll forget you ever tried to intervene a governmental agent from doing his work."

_Governmental agent_? Bishop works for the _government_? Well, at least that explains why the police isn't a problem for him and how he can afford such expensive surveillance and equipment. Donnie feels heavy; now they have to fight the people they are trying to help.

Wait a second. They are trying to help and if this guy really does work for the government he should be interested in what's best for the people. Maybe they can make a deal.

"If you think I'll just run away you're just as stupid as you –" Casey's insult is brought to an abrupt end when Donnie pushes him aside.

"Please listen to me," he begs, going as far as lowering his bo as to look less threatening. "We are on the same side; I and my brothers are just trying to help…"

The look of utter hatred covering Bishop's face is enough to make the words stick in Donnie's throat. He liked the cold callousness and the horrifying smile better; at least that didn't make the man look like a murderous monster. He looks like he wants to tear Donnie's eyes out with his bare hands and stomp on them.

"How dare you, _mutant,_" he says with a voice so low and even it makes Donnie shudder. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for your revolting lies?"

With that he seems to decide that the conversation is over and draws two knives from his belt, both of them long and curved and looking very menacing. Donnie immediately moves his bo back up, but just as Bishop lunges forward and Don braces himself, Casey shoves him aside and runs for the attacker.

"Get out of here, Don!" he screams.

_Timothy, running for the mutagen. "I'll save you, Donatello!"_

No, this can't happen, not again.

Donnie lunges for Casey and whacks his bo over the boy's arm, sending him tumbling over the hard roof. It must hurt like hell, but at least it better than what Don gets.

Bishop sends his left knife straight into Donnie's plastron and whams the handle of the other one into his head, and then finishes with a menacing kick to Don's knees. Donnie gasps and falls on his back, grateful for his carapace protecting him from the blade but still seeing double from the blow to his head. A foot comes crashing down towards his face and he just barely manages to deflect it with his bo, making Bishop stumble a little before regaining his balance. Donnie immediately grasps the opportunity and rolls back onto his feet, world tilting and spinning around him.

"I'm telling you, we're on your side!" he attempts once again while retreating back to buy a little time. "There are… _people_, who want to destroy everything, this entire _planet_, and we are trying to stop them!"

"You really think I don't know about the Kraang, mutant?" Bishop says, having somehow already caught up with Donnie and sends a kick for his head. Donnie ducks it and swipes his bo, but Bishop is already gone. "And I will stop them, no matter what you and your kind do to get in my way." Something hits Donnie on his shell and he plummets forward, turning the fall into a roll and getting back on his feet.

"But we are trying to help!" he pleas, ducking a roundhouse kick.

"If you so dearly want to help, I can assure you that you will."

Bishop slashes with his knife for Donnie's arm, slicing a thin cut on his bicep before Donnie manages to get out-of-the-way. Pain lashes through him and he gasps as blood pours from the wound and drips onto the cement. _It's just a flesh wound,_ he tries to convince himself. _You can patch it right back up when you get home._

If he gets home.

"Your insides will teach me a lot of how to kill the rest of your kind."

Donnie comes to a stop, blood flowing freely and creating a shiny, red pool underneath him. _You insides…?_

Oh god. Bishop is going to dissect him.

Thoughts of scalpels and saws fill his mind, distracting him as Bishop pounces, and by the time Donnie lifts his bo it's already too late. Then something crashes into Bishop from the side a mere moment before his knives were to hit Donnie, and the two figures fall into a tangled mess on the ground. The mess of dark hair is what tells Donnie what just happened.

"Casey!" he screams.

The boy falls to the side, body limp and breath shallow. Donnie stares at him as Bishop gets back up, knives still in hand. Did he…? No, he couldn't have…

But apart from what's still smeared on his fingers there is no blood on Casey, and no limbs, including the neck, are pointing in the wrong direction. He must just be knocked out. Relief fills Donnie as he starts spinning his bo, putting every ounce of what energy he still has into the movement. He can't get any hits in, but maybe a big, twirling wooden stick is enough to make Bishop stay on a distance.

No such luck. The man sticks his hand out and one of the knives gets stuck in the wood. Before Donnie has the chance to strengthen his grip Bishop pushes and both knife and bo goes flying over the cement. Bishop immediately follows up by jamming his remaining knife into Don's arm, and the world goes red. Don screams as he feels the sharp metal tear through muscles and tissue, feels the vibration as it scrapes bone reverberate through his entire body. Bishop's foot smashes into his stomach and sends him rolling over the ground, leaving a trail of red blood behind him.

Donnie stumbles back up, the edges of his vision turning black from pain and blood loss. His legs are shivering and he feels naked without his bo, but he can't give up. If he blacks out Casey will be on his own with this maniac. But it hurts, it really, really hurts.

_You are supposed to be smart,_ he scolds himself. _Use your mind, your ingenuity, DO SOMETHING!_

A movement behind Bishop catches Donnie's attention. Casey. Casey is moving. Donnie feels relief flood him, momentarily blocking out some of the pain and dizziness and allowing him to stumble out-of-the-way for Bishops slashing knife.

The boy is still lying on his stomach and looks horrible, but his eyes are open and something is in his hands. A phone. He is grasping a cell phone with clumsy fingers and trying to punch in a number.

Help. Thank god, he is going to get help.

And then Donnie realizes… none of them ever gave Casey their number. There was too much confusion, too much quarrelling, for any of them to think of it. Who is he calling? Who does he think can possibly help in a situation like this?

Oh no. April's number is still on the fridge. April who have already saved them from Bishop once, right in front of Casey's eyes.

No. he can't pull her into this, he can't be that stupid. No no no no…

Then there is suddenly Bishop, one foot coming up in Donnie's face. When he hits the ground the pain is miraculously gone, replace by cold numbness. The last thing he sees before everything goes black is Casey putting the phone to his ear.

* * *

By the time April has finished her story, Mona's head is reeling. She's always been open-minded, always believed in aliens being out there somewhere, but this is more than she could have ever imagined. They want to destroy the planet, make it inhabitable for themselves and kill off every living, breathing human.

Everyone. If they succeed, everyone will die.

And the only one's fighting them is four teenage boys and a girl. Well, from now on, make it two girls. She glances at Angel's shocked face. Possibly three.

By the time April's phone suddenly starts ringing, the story is over and they are all sitting dumfounded on the couch. The noise makes Mona jump several inches into the air and recoil from April with speed that amazes her. The other two flinch as well, but April quickly gets over it and picks a clumsy-looking cell phone from her pocket. She furrows her brow.

"I don't know this number." They glance at each other and Angel shrugs.

"It's probably just a telemarketer," she says weakly. April grumbles to herself, gets up, and answers the call. He annoyed face immediately grows shocked.

"Casey? How did you… wait slow down." She stands completely still, phone pressed to her ear so hard that her fingers are going white. "You and Donnie are _what_?"

Mona jumps again and suspicion starts creeping through her. This can't be good. Angel snorts.

"That guy just can't keep out of trouble."

"I'll get you help," April hurriedly says. "Just... just hold on, okay?" She waits for another second and then hangs up.

"What did he want?" Angel asks curiously. April doesn't answer, fingers quickly going through her phone and pushing some buttons and before putting it back at her ear. Waits a minute. Swears and goes through the same thing again. Then a third time. then the arm holding the phone drops and a her face grows pale.

"None of the guys are answering," she whispers. As if the word woke something up inside her she narrows her eyes and takes off running for the turnstiles. Both Angel and Mona get up climb out of the pit before rushing after her.

"Wait!" Angel calls. "What's happened?"

"Donnie and Casey are in trouble," April answers grimly. "That same guy from last night found them, and the other three are apparently busy in the tunnels." She agilely swings over the turnstiles, reminding Mona that she's a kunoichi in training and not the innocent girl she appears to be. Mona has to stop and use both her hands to get over and Angel tries to squeeze through, almost getting herself stuck in the process.

"What are you going to do?" Mona calls, hurrying after April down the stairs. A high screech is heard and the Angel comes tumbling after, clothes muddled and covered with rust. April rushes into the Shellraiser and Mona comes to a stop in the doorway. "Are you going after them?"

Lights flicker on inside the vehicle and cast eerie shadows all over the place. Mona can just make April out over at the controls.

"Of course I'm going after them," she says severely. "I can't let that creep take them."

Mona hesitates as April starts pushing buttons and pulling at levers. More light sputter on and some of the monitors start to flicker, dark images of the subway track filling them. April curses under her breath and bangs her hand against the wall.

"Dammit! Why didn't I ever ask Donnie to teach me how this thing works?" The despair in her voice is enough for Mona to make a decision.

"I'm coming with you," she says, trying to sound sure instead of terrified. The memory of her last battle is still making her queasy.

April gives her a quick glance and chews on her lip. Then she growls deep down her throats and hits some more buttons. The Shellraiser comes roaring to life but is just as swiftly subdued into silence again.

"Fine." She picks something up from her pocket and hands it over. "There's a tracking system between all the T-phones. Find Donnie's signal." With that she returns to her frantic search of the dashboard.

Mona turns the object over in her hands. It's April cell phone, or T-phone, as she called it. It clumsy and bigger than the usual kind of phones, with buttons customized for the turtles large fingers. The back is niftily shaped like a shell, which is kind of cute. Mona unlocks it and starts going through the different apps until she finds the tracking system. Angel hangs over her shoulder, curly hair tickling Mona in the face, and stares at the T-phone with an excited smile.

"So what am I going to do?" she asks eagerly.

"You're going back to the lair," April says without even looking at her. Angel's jaw drops.

"_What_? Not a chance!"

"This isn't your fight and I don't want you to get hurt. Mona, there are some spare weapons in that locker over there." She waves in the general direction of a locker in the back. "Get something to defend yourself with. You're going to need it."

Mona nods, puts the phone in her pocket and heads over to the stash of weapons. She opens the locker and sees metal gleam up at her, everything looking vicious and very deadly. Behind her Angel keeps arguing with April, trying to talk her into letting her come along. Mona doesn't know how to feel about April thinking that this isn't Angel's fight, but being more or less fine with Mona tagging along. Has she already been fully accepted as a family member and is as such expected to help save the others, no matter the risks? Or did April just think she has a better chance of staying alive than Angel? Mona's both proud and terrified that April picked up on her offer, but it's not like she can back out now. The guy's saved her once, and even gave her a home when she had nowhere else to go. It's time to return the favour.

Her hands grip the snaking form of a heavy chain and she lifts it out from the cluster of other weapons. Compact weights are attached to both ends and it's about the length of her arm. No blades, meaning she can carry it in her pockets without having to worry about cutting herself and, most importantly, she'll be able to use it without accidentally killing anyone.

Unless she smacks those weights into their head. That would probably crush their skull.

"I can't believe you're leaving me alone here with the giant rat," Angel complains as Mona gets back up. The weapon is heavy in her hands and makes her feel both nervous and powerful. She's never held a weapon with the intention of using it before.

"Well, we are," April says. "And I wouldn't tell him about us heading out like this. He'd probably get upset." She pulls another lever and brightens when a dark hatch opens up in the floor. "Mona, come on, we need to go."

* * *

Mona has never been on a motorcycle before, but she has a feeling this 'stealth bike' is quite different from most other bikes. It is lower and more stable than the one Casey rides and armoured like a tank. A metal roof covering their heads is protecting them from the stale air of the tunnels. Everything the guys own seems to be prepared for war.

It takes them nearly ten minutes to find their way out of the subway tunnels and up into daylight. Even though the roof gives some shade Mona is still blinded by the sun, suddenly reminded of the fact that she's been stuck underground for two days now. She has to squint to make out Donnie's bleeping dot on the T-phones screen.

"Take a right over here!" she calls to April over the rumbling of the bike. The world tilts sideways as April criss-crosses her way through a street filled of cars, nearly all of them honking angrily at them. They take the turn so narrowly that Mona's knee nearly touches the asphalt. She gasps and hugs April tighter.

They keep winding their way through streets intersections until they reach a fairly desolate area, industries crowding the streets and litter covering the sidewalks. Far ahead of them a black van turns a corner and disappears. Mona glances down on the screen and sees Donnie's dot go bleeping down the same street.

"I think that's it!" she calls. "Catch up to that van!" April hits the gas, accelerating so fast that Mona thinks her stomach is left somewhere at the last junction.

They slide through the corner, gases again and there it is: a big, black van with windows tinted black. Mona starts shivering at the sight of it, suddenly not so sure of her decision to come along. She puts a hand on her pocket and feels the twirling form of the chain, feeling slightly safer at its presence. She can do this.

April drives into the middle of the street and makes a u-turn, coming to a screeching stop in front of the van. The driver hits the brakes and the van turns sideways, sliding over the asphalt with tyres leaving black marks on the ground. Just as it comes to a stop April gases again, a burnt smell filling the air as she rounds the van and stops at the back before pushing a button that makes the protective roof go away.

"Try and get the door open," she orders, muscles twitching and hands turning slightly white from clutching the handle so tightly. "I'll keep him busy."

Mona's arms are stiff and her legs wobbly as she climbs of, but neither she nor April wastes any time. April gets driving the second Mona's feet hit the ground, roof back up and the gust of wind from the departing bike making Mona shudder. She stumbles over to the door and tugs the handle. Of course it's locked. She doesn't even now why she tried to open it. There are no windows to smash and the metal looks very sturdy. She's not very likely to force it open any time soon.

A door is opened and Mona freezes as the sound of shoes hitting the asphalt reaches her ears. Her heart is beating so rapidly the she can hear it, her vision is pulsing and nerves twitching. Then the driver moves away and the sound of a fired gun explode through the cacophony of screeching of tyres. He's shooting at April. He's actually shooting at her.

Rage rise up in Mona as yet another shot is heard. How dare he just shoot at someone like that, not knowing who it is or what she wants? He could end up killing someone who hasn't got a thing with this to do!

The van is still humming, and Mona's rage-fuelled brain manages to put together a plan. She crouches and slowly makes her way around the side of the car, heart pounding wildly as she catches sight of a dark-clad man standing in front of the van. His legs are wide apart and arms supporting a gun aimed straight at the zigzagging stealth bike. Another shot is fired and then April drives right at him and forces him to jump aside. Mona quickly pulls open the door to the driver's seat, covered by the sound of the bike. She has to take a deep breath before rising up and leaning into the car, being in plain sight for anyone who cares to look.

Her fingers shiver as she curls them around the wheel. The leather is clammy against her scaly skin and for a moment she hesitates. She's never driven anything before and will most likely crash the poor van as soon as she turns the wheel. But it doesn't matter. They just need a little heads start to be able to get the guys out before the driver catches up to them on foot. She puts on the seatbelt, pulls the door close and puts all her weight on the gas.

She nearly drives into the closest building before managing to right the van back onto the street, engine sputtering as it more or less jumps forwards. What's wrong? Why isn't it… oh, right. She needs to change gear. The transmission makes a horrifying crunching sound as she tries to put in third gear, but then she's finally on her way. She's driving. Mona feels like laughing when the street rushes past outside the windows, an incredible feeling filling her. She's actually doing it, she's really…

…going to crash with that street sign.

Mona screams and twirls the wheel but the van refuses to listen and starts sliding side first, still heading straight for that infuriating sign marking up a no parking zone. She gives up and stands on the brakes, but it's too late. The van plunges into the sign with a horrifying sound of cringing metal and shattering glass. The seat belt nearly crushes her chest and an airbag explodes from the wheel, nearly choking her as she tries to tangle loose from the seat. Tiny pieces of sharp glass cut into her skin but she doesn't feel the pain, even though the sight of her red blood makes her a bit dizzy.

"Mona!"

She falls out of the van, the hard asphalt making her loose her breath. April has pulled over right next to her and is helping her up.

"Oh my god Mona, are you insane? Why did you _crash_ it?" Her face is a mix of worry and anger.

"I've never driven before," Mona coughs before pulling away from April. She can hear the other girl's confused calls as she reaches back into the van, pushing her way around the now deflated airbag. The keys are gleaming in the ignition and she hurriedly pulls them out. The world is starting to sway back and forth by the time she's crawled back out, and she's suspecting that she's either going into shock or has a concussion. Several explosions are heard and it takes her all too long to figure out that they are gunshots. April has parked the stealth bike to keep her partly covered, but the man is running up the street with terrifying speed and will be on them within the minute. "I'll get them out," Mona sputters and limps around to the back of the van, which is luckily turned away from the approaching man.

She tries to fit the key into the lock, but her hands are shaking and the damn thing keeps moving back and forth, making her feel queasy. Then April is there and shoves the key right. A click is heard and the door is opened. Two crumpled shapes are sprawling on the floor, one of them holding onto the other.

"April?" Casey croaks, his face covered in blood and bruises and his hands holding Donatello tight. The turtle isn't moving and looks like he has been run over by a bus. Twice. April turns pale.

"Don!" she screams and pushes past Mona into the back of the van. Mona's eyes are to blurry for her to properly make out what's happening, but it looks like April is trying to shake Donnie awake.

"April, we need to get out of here!" Mona begs from the doorway. Her legs feel like they might give up on her any second and the man will be here just as soon. She tries to pull herself into the van but has no such luck. "Just pick him up and get out of there!"

A pair of gleaming eyes turns to her and then Casey nods, forcefully pushing April away and getting to his feet with one of Donnie's arms around his shoulders. April shouts something but then finally seems to grasp the situation; pulling Donnie's other arm over her own shoulders and help Casey to staggeringly drag their friend out into the light. Mona gasps; he really _does_ look like he's been run over by a bus. His plastron is covered by blood and scratches, there's a huge bump on his and a gash on his arm that is oozing a terrifying amount of blood. April looks like she's about to faint.

They will never get out of there on foot, not with one unconscious turtle, a lizard who feels like she might run into a wall if she isn't careful enough and a boy who staggers considerably with every step. April doesn't look like she's about to leave Donnie and Casey anytime soon, so the decision isn't really that hard to make. Mona turns around and heads back for the stealth bike.

"_Where are you going_?" Casey's scream makes her turn around and wakes April up from her shock.

"He's going to catch up with you," Mona pants. "I'll take the bike and distract him. You guys need to ru–"

"Not a chance." April lets go of Donnie so suddenly that Casey staggers under the sudden weight. "You'll crash the damn thing and if it that doesn't kill you, that maniac over there will." She gives Donnie another look through gleaming eyes and then turns back to Mona. "Get them out of here. I'll cover you."

There is no time to argue. Mona stumbles over to the struggling Casey while April hurries back to the front of the van. Another shot is heard and then the bike comes to life with a roar.

The weight of half an unconscious turtle is nearly too much, but somehow Mona manages to dig out some reserves in her powers and keeps on her feet. Casey's face is turning white as they stumble into a crossing street and she understands that he is worse off than she first thought; it's pretty much a miracle he's still up and about. Together they move down the street as fast as they can, colours swirling in the edge of Mona's perception and the sound of screeching tyres burning through her brain.

Then another shot is heard and the screeching is gone. Mona stops and drops Donnie's arm. Something has happened; April is in trouble. She needs help.

"Get Donnie to safety!" she gasps to Casey and turns around on wobbling legs. "I have to… April…"

She doesn't know how she does it, but somehow she pulls into a run. Up becomes down and vice verse, the sky loses its colour and everything seems to somehow slide. She's no longer sure if she's actually running or just imagining she is.

The stealth bike is lying on its side in the middle of the street, both tyres spinning and one of them empty of air. April crawls out of the wreck just Mona staggers off the sidewalk and reaches for her. The redhead looks up, an expression of utter terror on her face.

"What are you doing here? You need to run!"

"April?"

They both look up and there he is; the man with a sharp face and eyes cold as ice. His hands are holding tightly onto a pistol as he stares at April, not even aware of Mona's presence. His eyes are widened in disbelief, and then they snap to Mona who is still reaching for her friend. He raises his gun and aims straight at her head. The world seems to narrow to his arm, everything else turning irrelevant at the sight of what could be her imminent death.

"Get away from her!" he snarls and starts walking again. "Don't you dare go near her!"

Mona's head is too filled with bustling thoughts and boiling fear to make any sense of the situation. She puts her hands above her head and starts backing away, but the ground is rolling like the waves on an ocean. Her legs feel numb and can no longer hold up her weight.

She falls down, every part of her body pounding and her field of vision slowly turning black. Somewhere she hears April scream and feel the human's hands on hers, and somewhere else several black vans drive onto the street. She can no longer find the motivation to care for where this somewhere is and gives in to the darkness.

* * *

**Aaaand cliff hanger! The girls are captured, Donnie is out cold and Angel is pissed. Tune in next time to see what happens! **

**As always, reviews make a happy writer and a happy writer writes more = faster updates. So please tell me what you think! Oh, and don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Irma, this chapter would just have been too long if I had included her.**


	8. Chapter 8: Hurt

**Me: I should work on my novel**

**Half a page later: Uh, this is so boring. I'll just write on my fanfic to get some inspiration.**

**Ten pages later: THIS ISN'T WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING**

**Yeah, that is pretty much my life right now. I try to work on my novel, get bored, and resort to this. How sad. Well, at least I'm having fun.**

**Thanks for all the reviews of the last chapter! I get all happy every time I see that I have gotten a new one (imagine me doing my happy dance. Or maybe not; it's rather scary). So big thanks! And extra special thanks to Page-Mistress for the idea of Bishop being involved with Dimension X. You will finally get some explaining of that in this chapter, and I reveal the identity of the girl from Dimension X, yay!**

**In this chapter Mikey goes off on his own, Raph and Leo has a big sibling moment (I really worked hard on their scene and would be extra appreciative of your thoughts on it), Karai returns and April is going berserk.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT **

**Oh, and I've made some more sketches of Mona. There's a link to them at my bio if anyone feels like checking them out**

* * *

Chapter 8: Hurt

Mikey is lost.

Everything was going so well down in the tunnels. They were taking out goons left and right, the sound of his nunchucks smacking into heads and kusarigama chain rattling echoing through the sewer walls. It was great; the intruders didn't stand a chance and Mikey felt invincible. No one could see him when he came flying through the dark; he was a true ninja who won every battle.

But then one of the squads they sneaked up on lit a flashlight, and when bright light suddenly drowned them they were all momentarily frozen in place. Raph was holding a semi-unconscious man, Leo was trying to sneak around the enemies to surround them and Mikey was just about to fling the weighted end of his kusarigama at one of the men. They all stopped what they were doing, the sound of the now fully unconscious human leaving Raph's arms and splashing down in the sewage being the only thing heard.

Mikey and his brothers stared.

Four men wearing creepy goggles stared right back.

And then one of them stuck his hand in his pocket and picked out a gun and the charm was broken.

"Scatter!" Leo had called as poofing sounds were heard and tiny, glimmering projectiles started flying through the air.

The rest of the humans picked up similar-looking objects and aimed at Mikey and his brothers, and they had no other choice than to flee down the nearest tunnel to get away from this new threat. For Leo and Raph that meant they just had to turn and run back the way they had come, but Mikey had managed to end up on the other side of the squad during the fight and now four pissed off, armed men were separating him from his brothers. He had only hesitated a moment before he took off alone down a dripping, stinking tunnel.

And now he is lost. All alone, in the dark, with gurgling, oozing sewage tugging at his feet. Around him the echoing sounds of dripping water interweaves with low splashes of unknown origin and creates a bubble of unpleasant noises surrounding him, and he can't make out anything else. No voices, no steps, absolutely nothing.

Then there's another splash, much closer this time and coming from behind him.

He turns and stares around with frantic eyes, but the darkness is so thick that he can only make out the blurry shapes of walls and pipes hanging down from the roof. With his eyes squinting and heart beating rapidly he peers into the dark and clutches his nunchucks tightly.

Another splash.

"H-hello?" he calls, voice quivering. "You better not come over here, or I'll smite you with my secret kata!" He brings his hands up, calling out a "whooa!" to make it appear extra menacing, but there is no reaction from whoever made the sound. His hands come back down and he gives the darkness a confused look. The stalker should be running for his or her life; no one could possibly stay calm at the sight of his secret kata.

Oh no. Someone saw his kata. It's not a secret anymore.

Something wet and furry touches his calf and pulls away with a shrill shriek, and suddenly splattering water is everywhere as he stomps repeatedly at the sewage. It plasters on his skin, gets all over his face and soaks his mask, but it doesn't matter. Then something squeaks and a terrified rat scrambles out of the sewage before taking off at a run in the opposite direction. Mikey stares after it, relief flooding him.

"And don't you dare tell any of your little rat buddies about my secret kata!" he calls after it. The rat doesn't answer, and soon he is alone with his soaked, dripping self again. How sweet. "Eww, this is so gross," he whines and tries to squeeze the water out of the tails of his mask.

And then there is suddenly music. Mikey nearly jumps out of his skin and immediately draws his nunchucks, spinning them through the air so fast that he hears the whistling sound in his ears.

"Trying to hide behind a rat, are you, huh? Well tough luck buddy, 'cause I can totally hear your…" His hands fall and he looks down his belt where the T-phone I glowing merrily. "…phone."

He groans and puts his nunchucks back before picking up his T-phone. A picture of Leo fills the screen, his mask replaced with a pink one and his cheeks coloured with nice little flowers and hearts. His eyes are closed and his mouth is hanging half-open in a snore. That had been a great day for Mikey.

"Hello?" he answers, trying to sound cool even though he is shivering slightly, soaked as he is in water. "Dr. Prankenstein here, how may I be of service?"

"Mikey, thank goodness you're okay." He can hear Leo sigh a relief on the other end of the line. "Where are you?"

"Uh…" Mikey glances around in the tunnel and Leo sighs again, but not out of relief this time.

"You're lost, aren't you?"

"No!" Mikey exclaims. "I totally know where I am! It's a tunnel. In the sewers. And it's really dark, and cold, and it stinks and there are rats everywhere."

A moment of silence from his brother, then Leo hurriedly speaks up again. "Mikey, are there any cameras around you? Have you been seen?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Mikey whines. "They hide those things, like, _really_ well. They could be _anywhere_."

"Then they might now you are there," Leo ponders out loud, a tinge of worry in his voice. "They could find you."

"That's okay, I'll just take them out with my _wild nunchuck fury_!"

"Keep it down!" Leo hisses. "Just get up topside, okay? Hide out on a roof and Raph and I'll meet you there. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can, bro. Don't you trust me?" Mikey pouts and makes puppy-eyes, even though Leo can't even see him. But something must have gone through with his voice, because Leo sighs and answers, with a slightly guilty tone:

"I trust you Mikey, but I don't want you to get into trouble on your own. These guys are armed and dangerous and I'd hate to see my baby brother get hurt." A laughing sound is heard from the other end of the line and Mikey grins, seeing Leo's reddening face for his inner eye. "Just shut up!" his oldest brother barks at the chuckling Raph, and then he is back on the phone again. "Promise me you'll head straight for the closest roof and wait for us there, okay?"

"Aw, how cute that you worry about me," Mikey teases. "I love you, big bro."

"Mikey…" Leo threatens.

"I'll only promise if you admit you love me," Mikey claims. "Seriously, bro, you're hurting my feelings."

"Fine," Leo grumbles, and then adds with a low voice: "I love you too, little brother." Fits of uncontrollable laughter are heard and Leo yells "It's not funny!" at the very much amused Raph.

"I promise," Mikey giggles. Leo growls something at him in the phone and Mikey quickly hangs up before his brother says something to ruin the moment.

Murky darkness once again encases him as the faint light from the T-phone dies, and he catches himself throwing wary glances around the black tunnel. If he saw little before, he now sees absolutely nothing, eyes being too used to the barely visible light from his phone. Anyone could sneak up on him; take him out with one single blow before he even knows they are there…

Mikey gulps and holds the T-phone up before him, flicking the light back on. It's not much, barely enough to see the black water under his feet, but at least he isn't blind anymore. On the other hand, neither will any potential enemies be, and this way his eyes won't grow used to the dark. Plus, he's all alone, and has one hand busy so he won't be able to fight properly if anyone shows up. Leo's right, he needs to get out of here.

He follows the curved wall, shining the light over it in his search for a ladder and remembering in the last second not to run his hand along the slimy bricks. His fingers are twitching and at every sound he nearly jumps out of his skin, and he decides to try to calm himself down.

Sing a song. Yes, that should help take his mind off of things. He starts humming quietly, tunes running through his head and his free hand starting to tap in rhythm to the song without him even noticing it. The dark tunnel with all its stale air and icky water seems to grow farther away as he more and more gives in to the melody; dripping and gurgling water becomes part of the background music, lowly spoken words are the choir singing and the footsteps are nothing but the crowds stomping and clapping.

Voices and footsteps. He comes to a stop, suddenly hearing what he was so effectively blocking out just seconds ago. Humans speaking to one another, boots wading through the sewage and making a splashing sound every now and then as they close up on him from all directions. He nearly missed them. Leo would so not approve.

Mikey frantically flings his light source around in search for an escape route, and with peering eyes he finally discovers a ladder just a few feet ahead. Perfect! He lunges for it, cringing as he accidentally kicks up some water, and puts his hands on the bars.

"Ew!" He immediately let's go and stares down at his hands with a revolted grimace on his face. Greenish slime is covering his palms and fingers and he can smell the gross substance even through the thick smells already hanging in the stagnant air.

Seriously, whose bright idea was it to settle down in the sewers?

"I think I heard something!"

"Is that a light?"

"Come on, hurry!"

Mikey snorts; these people really don't know the gist about sneaking. They'd probably find a way to scare off a tree if they tried to sneak up on it.

He puts his T-phone away, once again being enveloped by darkness, and takes a deep breath before putting his hands back on the bars. A disgusting squishing sound is heard as his hands squeeze the metal, but he fights the urge to scream and flail away from it and instead pulls up. Splashes and scraping boots are creeping closer by the second, but now the intruders keep quiet, as if they actually think he hasn't noticed them already. Mikey grins as he pushes with his shoulder at the manhole cover (again, ew), but gasps a shock when bright light shines through the tiny gap, nearly blinding him. Are the Kraang up there? Have they somehow gotten their ship fixed and are now aiming their creepy lasers right at him?

He momentarily hesitates and considers going back down, rather facing off some clumsy humans than a Kraang ship, but then notices that the light has the wrong colour. It's more of a whitish yellow, not the pink that Kraang technology always seems to radiate. The intruders are almost on him now, and he makes a flash decision to take his chances with the light.

Besides, he's always liked a good surprise.

One of his hands covering his eyes, the other clinging for dear life to the slippery bars, he pushes the lid all the way open and crawls out into the light. By the time the pursuers reach the spot where he stood just minutes ago, the cover is already back in place and Mikey is staring wide-eyed at the bright alley.

Right. It's daylight.

The world is so stunningly beautiful when lit by the sparkling rays of sun. Mikey can't stop staring as he scales the closest building, nearly climbing backwards to be able to keep his eyes on the buzzing street, the cars zooming past and the people, _the hundreds of people_, all hurrying ahead, oblivious to the way the light reflects in windows and shines over everything. There are the strangest humans, even though he is rather used to strange humans after Angel, Karai and Casey, dressed in weird clothes and with hair (if they have any) all over the place, and there are lights in the shops crowding the sidewalk allowing him to actually see what's in there.

Clothes, electronics, toys, more clothes, make-up, comic books, video games, music, it never ends! Mikey is nearly drooling where he clings to a drainpipe, fighting his urge to just jump down from the building, push past the people and head into the closest store. Leo would kill him if he knew Mikey was even considering it, and he has learned his lesson regarding people after Bradford and that mean guy with the cat, but still…

It'd just be so fun.

Mikey sighs and turns away from the street before he heads for the roof. He won't ever be able to walk the streets in broad daylight, and if he headed into a store, even if he so carried a bag full of money, the owner would call the police.

Only it'd probably be Bishop showing up and not the boys in blue. Mikey shudders, reaches for the edge of the roof and clumsily crawls up, feeling too heavy to do it any other way. His shoulders slump as he sits down and gazes over the city. He just wants to go down there and have fun, but all the people he admired mere minutes ago are now in his way. Some kids rush by on skateboards, laughing and flailing and zigzagging between hurrying bystanders, and Mikey's fingers twitch a little as he stares longingly after them. Then a slow smile creeps across his face as an idea appears in his mind.

They could head back out here when it's dark and go skating at some fun place, just like they planed to do weeks ago when Baxter Stockman first got in the way. After that there hasn't been many chances for them to go skateboarding outside the sewers, but if he asks enough times the other might give in tonight. They could all need an opportunity to wind down, and he has a feeling that Angel might be the kind of girl who likes skateboarding. April had already stated that it isn't her thing (it had something to do with a broken arm, a cute boy and the docks, and that was all she would say about it) but Maybe Mona would give it a try.

His phone starts buzzing, telling him has just gotten a message.

* * *

She stares at the girl on the other side of the glass and can't help but feel a pang in her heart. She was overwhelmed with relief when Bishop told her that he had finally found, and retrieved, April. That she was right here where she is safe and well out of the hands, or rather tentacles, of the Kraang and those uncanny mutants who had tricked her.

But April was apparently not feeling the same.

She is locked in the same interrogation room in which Bishop had had a conversation with the inter-dimensional girl just last night, and she had spent the first couple of minutes screaming and banging the mirror. Then she had started wandering the room, staring at the ceiling and the walls. It had taken her a while to find all the cameras, but eventually she had smashed them all and by now the only way to observe her was through the mirror. Of course, she knew that and had once again stalked up to the glass and started kicking it with all her might while screaming at the people on the other side.

"I know you're in there! Let me out right now!" Another kick, but the glass is so thick that only a low thump is heard on the other side. "What have you done to Mona? What do you want with us?" Her voice I muffled enough for the girl and Bishop to barely hear it, but April's expression is enough to tell what she is feeling.

"She refused to listen to me," Bishop says slowly with his eyes locked on April, who has now started beating the glass with both her fists.

"Maybe she still believes in those mutants," the girl ponders, rubbing her chin. She had thought April would have been happy to be here, in a safe place where she can finally unwind, but turns out she was wrong. She turns her eyes to Bishop. "Have you explained to her who they are?" He sighs exhaustedly.

"I've tried, but she just kept screaming, and threw one of her boots after me." He scowls, and the girl knows it's hard for him not to defend himself when attacked, even if the attacker is April. A smile tugs at her lips as she imagines the red-haired girl flinging one of her rather compact boots straight at Bishops head. "She's acting like a child, refusing to listen to logic and just going on about that freak we brought here with her." His mouth is pulled into a grimace.

"I think you're just to up-tight," the girl says happily. "Have you tried talking to her without giving her that look at yours?" He gives her an empty stare with his mouth pulled into a thin, tensed line and she nods cheerfully, a teasing grin on her face. "Precisely, that's the one! Would send anyone into self-defence mode."

April has left the mirror and is pulling at the nailed chair, undoubtedly planning to rip the nails right out of the floor and throw the thing straight through the glass. When the chair refuses to budge she gives a frustrated shout and kicks is, her face contorted in anger.

"Maybe I could talk to her?" the girl suggests, even though the furious April scares her a little. "She might listen more to someone her own age." Besides, she is sick of being around all these boring old geezers roaming the corridors down here. She's only been here for a day and she already feels like crying from missing her fun-loving brothers. They always knew how to have a good time, even in a world infested with rampaging mutants, hunters and Kraang-droids. Whenever she was feeling down they'd step up for her; pull some prank on any of the older rebels, tell her a story or coax her into playing a game. The world was falling apart around them but they never allowed her to lose hope, and they always did their utmost to make sure she didn't lose her childhood.

Bishop and his soldiers and scientists on the other hand are all about business. _'Don't touch that', 'Stay out of the way', 'Do for god's sake not play with that acid!_' If one more of them treat her like a kid she thinks she's going to puke.

Maybe April is more fun. Another crash, a little louder this time, echoes through the observation room when one of the shattered cameras smashes into the glass, not even leaving the tiniest scratch. April's shoulders hunch a little as she stops, standing still and glaring at the unseen people on the other side with her breath coming out in quick gasps. Her blue eyes are gleaming with hatred.

"Don't think you can hide in there forever!" she screams. "You've got to come in here sooner or later!"

True.

"I suppose it's worth a try," Bishop contemplates. "But watch it; she's got no mercy." He absentmindedly rubs a sore spot on his upper arm and the girl grins.

"I think I can handle her."

April lunges for the door the second the lock clicks open, but Bishop easily puts up a hand and pushes her back. Her arms flail as she skids over the floor, falls and rolls back to her feet. The yellow ribbon in her hair is sitting crooked and her bangs are hanging in her eyes, but she still looks ready to fight. The girl wriggles her way past Bishop, who is blocking the way in the door, and holds up her hands soothingly. April snarls.

"Good luck," Bishop says, and as he moves to close the door April dives for it with a scream. The girl quickly steps aside and April crashes face first into the now closed door.

"Get back here!" she screams, punching and kicking at the cold metal. "Come in here and fight me like a man! Or are you too much of a coward hiding behind that glass?!" The girl sees small splotches of blood starting to spread over April's knuckles and decides it's time to put an end to this.

"Whoa, calm down, you're going to hurt yourself," she says and April flinches, as if she first now notices that she has company. The girl flashes a smile at her. "Hi, I'm…" April roars and goes for her throat, and the girl lets out a quick yelp before diving for cover behind the table. "Stop it!" she screams. "I don't want to hurt you, I jus want to talk!"

"What did you do to my friend?" April snarls and tries to reach over the table, but the girl nimbly jumps out of her reach. "If you've done anything to her I'll rip you apart!"

The girl feels a grimace trying to settle on her face, but fights it. Bishop had brought in some kind of lizard mutant along with April, but it was out cold and locked away in one of the holding cells along with another mutant they had gotten their hands on some time back. What could that thing possibly have said to get April on its side? It is a mutant, a freak, either serving the Kraang or its own selfish purposes. But April doesn't understand that yet, and they'll never get to her unless she calms down.

"Your friend is fine," the girl assures. "It – _she_ – is hurt, so they are taking care of her." Well, it wasn't a complete lie. The thing had had a concussion and the scientists had given it first aid to make sure it wouldn't die before they had a chance to examine it. April comes to a stop and gives the girl a suspicious look.

"If you're lying…"

"I swear we haven't done anything to hurt her." _That_ was true. Bishop had never hit it and the only reason it had blacked out was because it was stupid enough to crash an earth vehicle into a metal pole. The girl smiles brightly. "Now can you please listen to me? Come on, I can be fun!" April stares at her as if she just suggested that they should go pay the Kraang a visit and bring a gift basket to apologize for all the trouble they've caused.

"You've got one minute," April says coldly. "Then I'm banging your head into the wall until someone lets me out of here." She aims the last of her words at the mirror with a scowl on her face.

"Sweet!" The girl smiles brightly and sits down on the table, propping her legs up on the back of the chair and leaning back on her hands to get comfortable. "Now, we just want to help you. If the Kraang gets hold of you…"

"Wait," April intervenes. "You know about the Kraang?" She glances at the mirror. "Who are you people?" The girl smiles.

"That's a long story. Think you can give me more than a minute?"

* * *

They have just started tracking Mikey when Raph gets the message. The bright light from the T-phone nearly blinds him and he has to squint to be able to read the tiny letters.

_"In trobl plz hlp"_, followed by an address. Raph stares at the message. He has no difficulty making out the context, not after years of living with Mikey, but it's Donnie's number and Donnie never _ever_ spells that badly. Plus, Donnie knows of the phones' tracking systems, heck, he designed it, so he wouldn't have bothered to spell out the address.

Casey? Why would that idiot use Donnie's phone?

"Ey, Fearless!" He wades through the sewage until he's caught up with Leo and puts a hand on his shoulder. "I think Don and Casey have done something stupid." He holds up his phone and Leo stops and sighs exasperatedly.

"I sent him off with Donnie so they _wouldn't_ get into trouble!" he groans, and Raph raises an eye ridge.

"What, don't you trust him with me or Mikey?"

"Can you blame me?"

Raph snorts amusedly. "Good point. So what should we do about it?"

"Let me see it." Leo holds out his hand and Raph shoves the T-phone in it. The blue masked turtle's face grows grim as he reads the short message. "Either Donnie's got one hell of a concussion or he's out cold so that Casey had to write this." He sighs and hands the phone back to Raph. "Either way we should probably hurry."

They leave the sewers and quickly climb to the closest roof in order to get around without having to worry about any cameras, and Raph spends a minute staring at all the people buzzing around down below. He's only been topside in daylight once before, and that time the entire city was swarmed with thousands of rats. Today everyone is acting normal, hurrying around instead of screaming and running each other down. It feels a bit odd, but he quickly block out the sounds of their voices and shuffling feet. He has more important things to deal with.

Although it would have been nice to be able to walk the street instead of having to take a detour over the rooftops. But people are idiots, so he tries not to think about it.

Leo looks a bit taken aback by all the humans but hastily composes himself and aims his focus at his T-phone. "Mikey is somewhere in that direction." He waves somewhere in the general direction of east. "Don is somewhere over there. Way over there." He points west and slumps a little at the sight of the huge distances. "Do you think we can leave Mikey hanging for a couple of minutes? I'd really want to get to Donnie as fast as possible."

"Hey, how much damage can he do in a couple of minutes?"

They stare at each other for a few seconds.

"We should hurry up," Leo says.

"Agreed." Raph grins and then they take off across the roofs. It only takes them about ten minutes to reach Donnie and Casey's location, but as they stop and peer down the alley where they should be no one can be seen.

"I don't get it," Leo says, staring alternately at the beeping dot on his T-phone and the empty alley. "They should be down there."

"Maybe they have gone back down the sewers." Raph looks over the alleyway with all its dumpsters and graffiti until he notices a manhole cover at the far end. "Come on, I bet they are down there."

They quickly climb down, careful not to come to close to any windows or being seen from the street. At one point Raph has to come to a grinding stop by driving his sai through the cracks in the wall, sucking in his breath and staying completely still while a human with greasy hair and blood-shot eyes leans out a window and smokes a cigarette. Leo just manages to swing around and hide behind a balcony covered with dazzling flowers, but rustles the leaves on his way past. The human flinches and suspiciously leans a bit further out to be able to search the wall. Raph can make out his brother between the cacophony of flowers, but the human just squints, mutters something and finishes his cigarette, probably mistaking Leo's green skin for another plant. By the time the smoke has dissipated and the window is closed, Raph's arms shiver slightly from the effort of staying still, but he refuses to acknowledge it and agilely climbs the rest of the way. They land on the asphalt without making a sound.

"That was very graceful, Leo," Raph smirks, putting his sai back in his belt. "I think that guy mistook you for Snakeweed." Leo just grumbles something and sneaks over to the manhole cover.

Raph has just started to follow when something catches his attention, something poking out from behind one of the dumpsters. He stops and peers at it. Is that a… is that _a shoe_?

"Ey, Leo," he calls. "Hold on a second, will you." Leo comes to a stop, manhole cover already in his hands, and glances at Raph.

"What? Did you see something?" Raph just shushes him and slowly draws his sai. What he discovers behind the dumpster makes his blood run cold.

Donnie is beaten and bruised with an intimidating bump on his head, scratches on his shell that wasn't there before and several cuts on his arms. The ground underneath him is drenched with dried blood and his eyes are closed.

Casey doesn't look much better. His breath is shallow and there is blood all over him (but no open wounds, so Raph assumes that it's Donnie's) accompanied with bruises, scrapes and ripped clothes covered with dirt. One of his arms is, even when unconscious, holding Donnie upright, and the other one is still clutching the turtle's phone tightly.

"Leo," Raph tries to call, but his voice is sounding choked and hoarse. His hands are trembling slightly, and he fears he might drop his sai. "Leo, _get over here now!_"

The sai clatter to the ground and Raph falls to his knees, reaching for Donnie with a racing heart. He puts his hands on his brother's shoulders and shakes him, but his brother, his baby brother, doesn't even blinks. His head limply lolls to the side and thumps into Casey's, but neither of them react in any way.

A numb, freezing feeling is spreading through Raph's body with origin in his chest. His hands are growing cold as poisonous blood pumps through them, he can't even feel his legs and his field of vision is narrowing, focusing only on his brother.

His injured brother.

His… _dead,_ brother.

"Dammit Donnie!" Raph screams, hands clasping harder around the younger turtle's shoulders. "You can't die on me, I don't allow it!"

And then, just as Leo shows up at his side, Donnie moans silently. It's the barest of sounds, but it makes the sensation return to Raph's limbs in a heartbeat.

"Oh no." Leo kneels next to Raph and reaches for the unconscious bodies. "_Oh no_."

"They are alive," Raph says grimly, never taking his eyes off his younger brother. "And I'll rip whoever did this to pieces." It doesn't matter if it was the Shredder, Bishop, Kraang or even all of them working together. Raph's blood is boiling and he doesn't care what it will take: he will make the guilty ones pay.

He wants to see their blood splattered on the ground just like Donnie's. All of their blood.

Leo hasn't said anything more, his hands simply clutching Donnie's face with shivering fingers. Raph glances at him and notices that his face is sickly pale under the blue mask, his eyes wide open and a thin coating of sweat covering his skin. He looks the way Raph felt back when Mikey was injured by Snakeweed.

"Come on, Fearless." Raph reluctantly lets go of Donnie and gives Leo a careful shake. "We have to get them back to the lair." Leo gulps and nods, and without saying a word and eyes still just as big he resolutely pick Casey up and heads over to the manhole cover that he left open what feels like ages ago. Before he follows Raph picks up his T-phone and thumbs in a quick message to Mikey, telling him to stay put for a while longer. He doesn't want to imagine what will happen if Mikey starts wandering the sewers, or even worse: the streets, alone. He'll set of every alarm in New York City and have Bishop on his back in the matter of minutes.

Carrying two unconscious people through the dark sewers while dodging cameras is hard, even for two ninja turtles. Raph might be both stronger and heavier and Donnie, but Donnie is several inches taller than his older brother and weighs more than his lanky build gives the impression of. Raph's arms are starting to shiver and he is panting from the struggle, but there is not a chance he will stop for a break. Donnie is limp in his arms and moans every now and then, mumbling something about April and Casey. It's clear that he is in a bad condition, and Raph won't stop until they are back home and…

And what? Raph grinds his teeth; Donnie is the medic of the family, the one best equipped to deal with injuries of all kinds. Who's supposed to care for him now that he's out cold? Casey they can always ship off to some hospital, but it's not like they can drop Donnie off in a cage at the veterinarian clinic and hope the staff will think he's just an unusually overgrown pet. No, they'll have to figure out something else.

"This way."

"No, we have already…"

Leo and Raph both come to a stop when voices come floating towards them through the tunnels, and Raph feels his muscles twitch. Carefully he starts to lower Donatello to the ground, but Leo catches his eyes and gives him a shocked look.

"What are you doing?" the blue masked turtle whispers in a strained voice.

"I'm taking care of the idiots," Raph growls. "I can bet my shell they are involved in this somehow, and they are going to pay."

"Are you insane? We can't fight now, we need to get back to the lair!" Leo takes a step back, headed towards an intersecting tunnel, and gives Raph a both pleading and commanding look.

Raph glares at his older brother, shocked, but at the same time not very surprised. After all, Raph has always been the most offensive of his brothers (and he's proud of it!) and Leo has always practiced the fight smart routine, but even then how can Leo actually want to back down from this fight? Those creeps injured, nearly _killed_, their little brother, and now Leo just wants to hide and let them pass?

No, not this time.

"Forget it, Fearless," he hisses. "I'm going after them."

"No you are not!" Leo positions himself in front of his brother and tries to give him his usual disapproving glare, but there is something off about his eyes. They have a strange, almost panicky, gleam about them. "Don and Casey need help; we have to get them home as fast as possible before they get worse."

"It will only take a couple of minutes, they'll manage." Raph tries to walk around Leo, but the older turtle refuses to budge and Raph don't want to shove him in fear of injuring Casey or Donnie even more. "Move," Raph hisses.

"Did you hear something?"

"It's probably just a rat. There are thousands of them down here."

"Ew, that's disgusting!"

The voices have gotten closer and Leo has started to weigh from foot to foot, eyeing the different escape routes. Raph considers just calling out and let the intruders know they have company; that way there will be no avoiding a confrontation, no matter what Leo says.

"If we fight now they might notice Donnie and Casey. They can't defend themselves, Raph," Leo begs. "Please, let's just get out of here!"

Raph can't remember the last time Leo begged him to do something, if it has ever happened since the time he snatched Leo's favourite issue of _Space Heroes_ and threatened to use it to build a campfire. Something is definitely off about his brother's behaviour.

"Are you scared?" he asks incredulously, barely believing his own words. Of course he has teased Leo in the past, calling him chicken when he choose to avoid a battle or end a fight, but has always known that it was never about fear, only Leo trying to be a good leader. But this… can Leo actually be _scared _of those people?

Leo grows pale. "I am not scared!" he hisses. "We just need to get out of here, _now_!" Not too far away a shoe hits the water with a splashing sound, and Leo's entire body jerks. Raph stares at him.

"You _are_ scared!" he accuses, bottled up rage escaping and filling his voice to the breaking point. "You are actually prepared to flee just because you are afraid, instead of getting revenge, getting even, for what they did to Casey and Donnie! You are just going to let them _get away_ with it?" He can barely believe it: his brother, _Fearless_, is afraid. "I'm going now, _coward,_" he says coldly, having to fight not to spit the words out. Leo looks like he just smacked him in the face with a brick and doesn't stop Raph when he pushes past him.

"I know I'm a bad leader," he whispers, and for some reason it's enough to make Raph stop. He blinks and sees to dark figures disappear into another tunnel further ahead. The voices start to grow distant again. _This is it_, Raph thinks. _Go now or you'll lose them_.

He turns around and sees Leo still standing there, Casey clutched in his arms and a completely destroyed look on his face.

"I was the one who sent them off, who let them go alone even if Donnie said it was a bad idea." As his face starts to scrunch up Raph can only stare, no words coming over his lips. "They could have died." Leo blinks once and pulls a rapid, jerky breath. "I could have killed my little brother, Raph. I could have…" His voice breaks and he looks away, shivering and breathing heavily.

_Oh, Leo._ "You couldn't have known, Leo. It wasn't your fau–"

"Of course it was my fault!" Leo screams, voice echoing. "I sent them away, I thought it was safe! I am the leader; I'm supposed to predict all possible outcomes! Why didn't I realize that this could happen?" His eyes are blazing know, but that strange gleam is still there. It has taken Raph until now to realize that it's not just fear, but guilt, so much guilt. "I knew I should have gone myself, but I – I didn't want to," Leo chokes. "I was sick of Casey so I sent Don instead. This should have been _me_, Raph, I should have been the one hurt. How could I put my little brother through this?" With that he sniffs once, stumbles to the side until his shoulder hits the wall and slides down to the floor. The sound of muffled sobs fills the darkness.

Raph gently puts Donnie down, making sure he's leaning against the wall and won't fall into the water, and walks over to his older brother. He kneels next to him and Leo looks up with tear-filled eyes.

"I failed one of my baby brothers," Leo whispers. "And that – that terrifies me."

Of course he was never scared of those people, not for his own sake. For Leo it's never about himself; it's always about is brothers, his family, the ones he love. And Raph called him a coward.

Before he has the chance to think about it twice, Raph leans forward and gives his brother, his only older brother, a hug, squashing Casey in between them. "You're not a bad leader," he mumbles. "You are the only one of us who could ever handle it."

Leo, getting over the shock of getting a rare Raph-hug, is sitting completely still, feeling very cold and very rigid under Raph's arms. "But I failed," he whispers, and Raph feel hot tears hit him. "I thought of myself before I thought my family and almost got someone killed. I am a disgrace to you, to master Splinter, _to our way of life._"

This is getting frustrating. Raph loses his grip and leans back until he can see Leo's eyes. His brother immediately looks away, but Raph grabs his shoulders and gives him rough shake. "Listen," he orders, trying to get through the haze of guilt in Leo's eyes. "You are not a disgrace to _anyone_, you hear me, big brother? And if you ever dare say that again I'll have to beat some sense into you." Leo looks up, his mask covered with dark, wet stains, and hesitantly meets Raph's eyes.

"But –"

"No buts," Raph cuts off. "You couldn't have known this was going to happen, and you did the right choice to stay with me and Mikey." Leo stares at him, dumbfounded, and Raph grins. "Seriously, you don't really think it would have been smarter to leave us with Donnie, do you? The poor guy would have had a meltdown on us." Raph smiles and gives Leo's shoulders a squeeze. "You sent them away so that they would be safe, and chose to stay yourself where the danger would be to make sure me and Mikey were safe, too. You were trying to protect us all, Leo, and even though I certainly don't need protection you couldn't have made a better choice."

Leo looks away again and Raph swears inwardly. He didn't want to bring this up, but it seems he has no choice.

"These things happen, Leo, and if it makes you a disgrace, then I'm even worse." Leo's head snaps back up, and Raph has to fight to stay alert, to not give in to the fear that paralyzed him that time. "I got Mikey injured because I made a bad decision, and I couldn't handle it; Donnie was the one who saved us. If it had all come down to me we would have been dead by now." He shudders. Ever since that day when he faced the difficulties of being a leader he has tried to forget about it. Forget how he got his little brother's hurt, how he nearly got Mikey killed, how he couldn't even figure out a way for them to get out of there. He had frozen, and because of that his family nearly had to pay the ultimate prize. "I got Mikey hurt and I couldn't even save him. Does that make me a disgrace?"

"No!" Leo exclaims. "You are not a disgrace, Raph, you could never be!" Raph glares at his older brother.

"Then don't you dare call yourself one."

They sit in silence for a while, and then Leo pulls in a deep breath. "Thanks, Raph. I just… thanks."

"Don't mention it." He gives his brother another hug, and this time Leo gets his arms lose from Casey and hugs back. "Brothers have to take care of each other, right?"

Leo sniffs, but Raph can feel the smile on his face. "You are getting soft, little brother."

"Yeah, right." Raph gives him a shove and gets back up. "That's what I get for making you feel better." He turns away to hide the grin that is tugging at his lips. Behind him small scraping noises are heard as Leo gets to his feet, sending tiny ripples across the water when his toes touch the surface. Raph has just bent down to pick Donnie back up when a croaky voice echoes through the tunnels.

"So, do you have these heart-to-heart conversations often?"

Raph spins around and sees Casey blink at him from Leo's arms. The older turtle stares at him as if he just turned into a giant squid (but based on how many mutants that keeps being "born", that wouldn't really have been that much of a surprise).

"Have you been awake for long?" Leo asks warily.

"Long enough to notice all the hugging. That was really awkward for me, by the way."

Raph stomps over to them and pokes Casey in the chest. "If you ever, _ever_, tell anyone about this…" Casey snorts.

"I haven't got a death wish, thank you very much. Your secret, mushy side is safe with me." Raph growls and fists his hand, but then Casey suddenly grows so pale that he looks like he's about to faint. "Oh god," he whispers. "The girls…"

* * *

Karai isn't usually out during the day. After too many long nights on the rooftops she has pretty much turned into a nocturnal creature, only stepping outside once the sun has gone down and the street lights have been turned on. But of course that damn mutant had to disappear, and _of course_ her dad had to send her out to find him before someone else does. She really can't see the point; if one of those mutated little pets of his got into a mess, then they could damn well deal with it on their own. She has more important things to handle than to play babysitter.

A green shape crouching on a not too faraway roof snaps her out of her thoughts and brings her to a stop. What the – what is one of them doing out during the day? Does he want to get caught? Seen?

Maybe he's just looking for trouble.

Her face grows stern as she pulls one of her blades and heads towards him, careful not to be seen. It seems her efforts aren't really necessary, though: he's got all of his attention glued to his phone, rambling away to someone. He's too far away for her to hear what he's saying, but she can't help but wonder what's so important that it makes him completely lose his focus like this.

_It doesn't matter. Get a grip, Karai_. Her fingers curl around the handle of her blade and she feels a taste of metal in her mouth. _They betrayed you, went behind your back when you risked so much to help them._ If he doesn't notice her coming, then it's his problem, not hers. It will just make this go that much faster. She crouches on top of a water tower, peers down at him and notices that he has an orange mask.

So it isn't Leo. How disappointing; she was looking forward to getting her revenge on him. What did he call this one? She chews on her lip and tries to remember the times she spied on them. The on in red was Raph, that she is sure of, and hadn't Leo called the other two Donnie and Mikey? She isn't completely sure. Not that it matters, though; they are all just as guilty.

She rises at the same time he hangs up, and even from atop the water tower she can see that something is bothering him; he has started pacing back and forth along the edge of the roof, hands fiddling with his kusarigama chain without him being even fully aware of it. He still isn't noticing her, and Karai is sick and tired of waiting. Her free hand curls into a fist as she speeds up and flips off the tower. Cold air swishes over her skin, brushes her hair back and makes her eyes water. She blinks as she lands, making sure he still hasn't noticed her.

That turtle really need to work on his focus.

She hesitates without even really knowing why. It would be easy for her to take him out, right here, right now. One less enemy to deal with. But she's a kunoichi, and unlike the turtles she fights with honour. If she finishes him without even giving him a chance to defend himself she isn't any better than they are.

"Hey!" she calls, and he practically jumps out of his shell. The nunchucks starts spinning around him before he has even landed, and in an instant he is all ninja and prepared to fight. That insecure, childish pacer is far gone. She smirks; maybe he won't be such an unworthy opponent as she first thought.

"Karai," he breathes, growing more tense in his stance. "How did you find me?"

"You are a giant turtle sitting on a roof in broad daylight," she says dryly. "Not very hard to miss."

"But I was being so cautious," he complains.

Karai snarls; she isn't here to talk. She talked to Leo and that's what got her into this mess. She needs to finish this before another one of them gets in under her skin. With a roar she attacks.

He flinches back and goes on a defensive, smacking her sword aside with his nunchucks, but she is relentless. There isn't a chance she'll lose this, it just isn't an option. She stabs at his arm and he blocks it, and while he's distracted she throws a kick at his chest. He tumbles over the roof, rolls and flips back up just in time for her to catch him on the jaw with a punch.

"Ouch!" His face scrunches up and she blinks. Wide, disbelieving eyes and freckles; he looks so young, so innocent.

A foot flies up and suddenly she's sprawling on her back. Her head is thumping and blood raging; how come she keeps getting distracted like this whenever she fights any of them. She snarls and flings herself back up, prepared to take him on again…

…and he isn't there. She quickly turns around, expecting him to have somehow sneaked up behind her, but there is no denying it: she is alone on the roof. Confused, she sheets her blade and scans the nearby buildings, partly expecting him to be long gone by now. But no, there he is, far away, leaping from one roof to the next. She can make out his pumping legs and arms, the colourful tails of his mask bobbing behind him, but he is still pretty much just a tiny dot by now. How the heck did he get that far so fast? He must be a lot faster than his brothers.

Oh well, she's fast too, and there isn't a chance he's getting away today.

* * *

April's head is spinning from all the information she is receiving. The strange girl alone is more than enough to make her exhausted, with all that bubbling energy practically radiating from her. She's a strawberry blond with her hair cut short and spiky and is wearing a green layered skirt along with a matching top and tights. That isn't the strangest thing about her, though.

Her ears are pointy. As in elf pointy. April can't stop staring at them, wondering if they are the result of a random mutation (now wouldn't that be ironic) or if she's done some plastic surgery. She looks a bit young for that, though; she can't be more than tops eighteen.

The actual reason? It's more than enough to make April dizzy.

"I'm a neutrino," the girl says, as if that is supposed to explain everything. April just stares at her, silently counting down on the minute she has given her. "And so is Bishop. He's just, you know, _older_." She smiles and April feels like smacking her in the head with something. To bad everything is nailed to the floor.

"I don't know what a neutrino is," she reminds the girl. "And you have about thirty seconds to explain."

"Oh, right." She giggles. "Sorry. Neutrinos are the Kraang's creation. But we escaped about fifteen years ago, and we have been fighting them ever since."

April blinks. Creations of the Kraang? Was this some kind of really bad joke? "I don't get it," she says slowly. "You mean they _made _you? Like how they make mutants?" She certainly doesn't look like a mutant, aside from those strange ears.

"Well, I'm pretty sure there was mutagen involved," the girl ponders. "But we are not like the mutants. We are still human." Her smile falters a little, replaced by a grimace.

"Why would they make humans?" April pushes. "It's not like there isn't a whole lot of us already."

"Ah, but here's the funny part: neutrinos can live both here on earth and on Dimension X. Nifty, isn't it?"

"Why would they want to do that? What's the point?" The girl shrugs.

"To be honest, we still don't really know. Bishop suspects it's because they wanted to use us as slaves that can function in both worlds. Of course they have their mutants, but aside from them being terribly unpredictable, the Kraang never really knew how they'd end up. Some where useful, others died right away, and quite a lot of them just went berserk and killed everything in sight." That little grimace is back on her face, but Aril can tell that she is trying to hide it. "Us, on the other hand, they could control from square one. They could make sure we turned out exactly the way they wanted us to."

"So that's why Bishop was such an incredible fighter," April suddenly realizes. "They customized him for it."

"Well, that, plus a whole lot of practice. That guy pretty much lives and breathes for his workouts."

It must have been a minute by now. April hesitates, glances at the window and back at the relaxed girl lounging on the table. She doesn't doubt that there are people behind that glass, watching, listening, prepared to interfere in case their little friend gets in trouble. April might be unarmed, but she isn't prepared to give up just because of that. Raph has taught her quite a few dirty tricks she can use, things Splinter certainly wouldn't agree of, but they would definitely come in hand right now. But…

She's curious. No matter how much she tries to deny it, she wants to know what this girl has to say. This is her first and possibly only chance to get some real answers, and even if she is aware of the fact that she can't trust this girl for a second, she still wants to hear here out.

"You said that you fight the Kraang," April says, and the girl nods.

"We are rebels," she explains. "There used to be a time when there was plenty of life in Dimension X, that was way before I was born, of course, but they wrecked it all. We can't just sit by and watch while they do the same thing to your world."

_Well, isn't that sweet_. April purses her lips. "I don't believe you." The girl blinks once, surprise written all over her face.

"Why?" she asks, genuinely confused.

"Because you attacked my friends!" April explodes, waving her arms. "If you were on their side you'd help them, not attack them!"

"They are not your friends," the girl states. "Trust me April, you should be glad we got you away from them."

"I'm not glad!" April shouts. "You hurt my best friend! He…" She swears inwardly as she chokes on the word and tears well up in her eyes. Dammit, this isn't the time to appear weak.

"April?" The girl's feet fall down from the back of the chair and hit the floor with a thump. "Are you okay?"

"No!" April tries to scream, but her throat is all clogged up and it comes out as muffled and croaky. "How can you think I'm okay?"

"I understand that this is confusing right now, but you have to trust me. Those things aren't your friends. They are selfish and dangerous and –" Her voice is brought to a stop when April's fingers close around her throat and pushes her down onto the table.

"Don't you dare say such things about them," she hisses, staring into the girl's wide eyes. She nods wordlessly and April reluctantly lets her go.

"If I try to explain why they aren't trustworthy, will you attack me again?" she asks and carefully rubs her throat.

"It depends," April says coldly. "Let's hear you out."

"There are actually some mutants who fight the Kraang," she says carefully. "Freaks who were thrown away or escaped, both here on earth and in Dimension X. They hate the Kraang for what they did to them and are prepared to do anything to bring them down. And with anything, I mean _anything._" The happy look is gone from her face by now, replaced by grim determination. "There is one of them back in Dimension X that goes into a frenzy every time anyone gets near. It goes mainly for the Kraang, but anyone who gets in its way when it goes berserk is pretty much done for." She shudders.

Could it be… Had he somehow escaped the Kraang and was now be wandering Dimension X, scared and abandoned and taking out anyone who sets him off?

"This mutant," she whispers, "he doesn't happen to look like a giant alligator, does he?"

The girl's eyes widen. "You've met it? Oh god, I heard rumours that it ventured into this world for some time, but I never thought… It didn't hurt you, did it?" She leans forward and studies April with worried eyes.

"Him," April says. "Not _it._ And he's named Leatherhead. And yes, I met him. He _helped_ us infiltrate Kraang headquarters." The girl looks like she might faint.

April had only briefly encountered Leatherhead, just before he and the guys hid in that box and she sent them into the TCRI building, and to be perfectly honest, he had terrified her. But that wasn't anything she was going to admit to this girl. Besides, he had never threatened her in any way and was an absolute gentleman. But even if he acted nice when she was around she still remembered Donnie's stories of how he nearly got his face ripped off, several times, and then she couldn't help but to be a bit scared.

"He was just confused and scared," April tries to explain. "The Kraang had hurt him so badly that he couldn't control himself when he got upset, but he was really working on it."

"I bet he was," the girl says dryly. April has to fight the urge to attack her again.

"If you're so convinced that they are all evil, then how do you explain my friends? They have saved me from the Kraang several times, and they have absolutely no interest in hurting me or anyone else." Well, anyone who wasn't Foot Clan or Purple Dragon.

"I've been thinking about that," the girl ponders. "First I thought they were tricking you so that they'd be able to hand you over later, but now I'm rather convinced that they are protecting you just so that the Kraang won't get hold of you. They don't actually care about _you;_ they just want to make sure their enemies don't succeed." April stares at her.

"You know that the Kraang is after me?" she asks incredulously.

"We do," the girl confirms, but then keeps on going before April has the chance to open her mouth. "And no, we do not know what they need you for. All we know is that you are very, very important to them, and if they get hold of you it's pretty much over."

"But I knew the guys before they were aware of the Kraang wanting me so badly. Before they met me, they didn't even know the Kraang existed." The girl furrows her brows, and April feels rather pleased with having surprised her.

"That's impossible," she says. "How could they not know of the Kraang? They were the ones who created them."

"Their 'creation' was an accident," April explains. She doesn't now how much she can tell this girl without endangering the guys, but decides that a quick rundown of what happened in that alley fifteen years ago won't hurt. The girl looks rather suspicious of the story.

"You are telling me that the first fifteen years of their lives they weren't aware of their own origins?" she inquires.

"Precisely!" April nods fervently. "And Mona, the girl who came in along with me, she was human until just a couple of days ago." She has to clench her jaws shut at the mentioning of Mona's name; she still doesn't know what they have done to her. If they have hurt her in any way… April wouldn't know what to do. She was the one who brought Mona with her to help Donnie and Casey, and that means the other girl was her responsibility. If she's injured it is April's fault. "She is one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. She would never hurt anyone."

The girl stares at her and April feels her hopes first rise and then fall. She doesn't believe her. Well, she can always fall back on the plan to bang the other girl's head in the wall until someone lets her out. April has just started up towards the girl when she suddenly speaks again.

"You mean they are all just… children? That neither of them were aware of, or wanted to get revenge on, the Kraang until mere months ago?"

"The only reason they started going after the Kraang to begin with was to help me," April says sadly. Sure, they had saved her, but her dad was still in the clutches of inter-dimensional aliens and the guys were in constant danger because of her.

"This is… interesting," the girl mumbles, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She looks up and meets April's eyes. "I'll talk to Bishop about this." With that she jumps down from the table and heads for the door.

"Wait!" April throws herself in front of the other girl to block her way. "You have to get me out of here. My friend is injured and I need to get back to him." She is not a fan of begging, but she really, really needs to get out of here. "Please?"

"I promise I'll talk to Bishop," the girl reassures her, and then smiles faintly. "But don't worry; we brought you here to help you, not to keep you prisoner." She walks around April and knocks on the door, a metallic clang echoing through the room. April cringes.

What is she supposed to do? Trust this girl? Or resort to her original plan and use her as hostage to get out?

But there is not a chance that would work. She saw all the security when she was brought here; just getting out of this room will be far from enough. No matter how she feels about it there isn't really much of a choice: she has to trust this girl.

The door swings open on quiet hinges and April can just make out the silhouette of a man on the other side. The same man who brought her here. Bishop. An image of Donnie, bloody and bruised, flashes across her eyes and she fists her hands.

Halfway out the door, the girl suddenly turns around and gives April another smile. "Oh, by the way, I'm Kala." She waves sheepishly, steps out into the corridor and disappears out of sight when the door closes with a bang.

Kala. She has to trust Kala.

* * *

**So, it's Bishop the neutrino. Yeah, it sounds a bit weird, I know. Hopefully you'll get used to it.**

**Was there anyone who guessed that Kala was the mystery girl? Anyone? And does anyone have a guess of who Karai was looking for?**

**I only managed to put about half of what I planned into this chapter. There was going to be two epic hero/villain team-ups, a Leo and Donnie bonding scene, a little Irma, some Mona and of course the big rescue of the girls. Well, you'll just have to wait 'til the next chapter to read all of those things, muahaha. **

**As always, rewievs are much appreciated and makes me do my happy dance, whether they are just pure love or constructive criticism. Please, let me now your thoughts on the story so far!**


	9. Chapter 9: Team-up

**And here's chapter 9, extra long and _still_ not including all the parts I planned to put in it. Let's all cheer for my amazing planning skills, yay!**

**Ehm. This time Karai has to make a life altering decision, Donnie has a meltdown and Mona runs into an old acquaintance.**

**Disclaimer: I do not, end will never, own TMNT**

* * *

Chapter 9: Team-up

How can he be so damn _fast_? Karai is panting and stumbling by the time she's caught up with the turtle, but he's barely even breathing heavily. Luckily for her, though, he is still being sloppy, and only gives the surrounding roofs a quick glance before he hides behind a shack. She stops for a second and listens, but apart from the regular city sounds nothing is heard. Karai cautiously draws her sword and tiptoes closer until she's standing back pressed to the wall mere inches away from the corner. She still can't hear him, but he has to be back there; she would have noticed if he tried to make a run for it. She sucks in a deep breath, steadies her grip and lunges for him.

No one's there. Karai stops and blinks, but no, she isn't hallucinating. The turtle really is gone.

And then something drops down on top of her, squashing her into the ground.

"Booyakasha!" someone calls above her, and she snarls and twists under the turtle's heavy body. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?" She can hear the pride in his voice and it drives her furious, both at him but mostly at herself for underestimating him. Of course he knew she was following him; he's been trained for situations like this his entire life.

But so has she.

Karai pulls one of her arms free and jabs at a pressure point in his leg, and he immediately yelps and more or less rolls off of her. She propels herself back up and sends a kick for his head on her way, but he deflects his with a spinning nunchaku. The compact weapon leaves her shin and foot feeling numb, but she resolutely presses the discomfort aside and puts her weight on it anyway. It nearly gives in on her and she takes a stumbling step, gasping and only for a second forgetting about the turtle.

He flings his weapon at her head and she just barely manages to throw up her shoulder to take the blow. Pain explodes through her nerves and she hisses. _Better to take it with your arm than with your head_. She tries to convince herself, but it just hurts to damn much.

"I'll get you for that!" she growls and he quickly backs off, fear etched on his face.

_So young…_

_Focus._

She lunges for him and hold nothing back. Her left fist makes contact with his chin and her blade scrapes his arm before he even has the chance to try to block her, and when he attempts to kick her in the stomach she simply grabs his foot and twists. The same move would have rendered anyone else with a broken ankle, but the turtle is quick and knows how to act without thinking. His other foot leaves the ground and then his entire body follows the twist, saving his leg but still leaving him vulnerable for attacks. Karai's leg shots out and kicks him in the side, sending him rolling over the cold cement.

Her injuries are still hurting and the howling wind makes her limbs shiver, but nothing can hold her back today. As she approaches him her face locks on an expressionless mask, refusing to show him any weakness or pity, and her mind goes blank. He stares at her with wide eyes and starts scrambling back on his hands and feet, breathing heavily and desperately searching for an escape route.

"Don't come near me!" he shouts, grabs for something at his belt and flings it at her. Karai deflects the shuriken with her sword almost absentmindedly.

The turtle finally manages to get back on his feet and starts running, still digging through his belt. A shower of gleaming throwing stars fly towards her and Karai has no other choice than to slow down to be able avoid them all. She snarls and protects herself with her armoured forearms, but then one of the tiny projectiles hit the metal with a low thud.

She comes to a stop and stares at the object that is now lying on the ground before her feet. It's a cell phone, big and clumsy and with a crack zigzagging down its screen. A smile creeps over her face; what a clumsy little turtle. A few feet ahead she hears him come to a screeching stop, gasping when he notices his mistake.

"Give that back!" he screams as she picks the phone up and turns it over in her hands. It's compact and heavy, probably a lot more durable than regular cell phones. Figures that he has still managed to break the screen. "You can't – just give me – gah!" She is just about to put the phone in her pocket and return to the fight when his voice suddenly grows firm. "T-phone self destruct!"

Karai isn't stupid; she immediately drops the phone and sees tiny sparkles and smoke emerge from it before it has even hit the ground. Dammit. She looks up and sends the turtle a murderous glare. He recoils.

"I don't have time to fight you right now!" he calls and she blinks a few times, unable to keep her reply back.

"You don't _have time_? What do you think this is, some kind of game?"

"Maybe we can reschedule?" he tries, starting to count on his fingers. "I'm free two nights from now, how about you?" He looks up and gives her a hopeful smile.

Karai doesn't know what to say. Or rather, she knows she shouldn't say anything at all, but for some reason she just can't keep her mouth shut.

"Are you stupid somehow?" she exclaims, and he giggles nervously.

"I'm just really kind of busy," he says sheepishly. "You see, we've got these people after us…"

"Yeah," she cuts him off. "They are called the Foot."

"No, not them." He waves her words aside with a swift motion and Karai frowns. This is not what she was expecting. "There's this new guy, and he… he took April and Mona and beat Donnie down."

Donnie, huh? Then this one must be Mikey. And wasn't that weird, annoying girl, Irma, looking for someone named Mona? That new mutant on Fong's team who went missing. Figures she had switched sides. Well, at least this odd conversation has given her some useful information, but now fun's over. She starts moving again and he backs off, hands raised protectively in front of his face.

"I mean it, I really can't do this right now," he tries again, dodging her strikes. Karai throws punch after punch, but he agilely slips out-of-the-way and she can't hold back a frustrated growl.

"Hold still!"

"_You_ hold still!" he defiantly calls back and she grinds her teeth. How can one little mutant be this _annoying_? "I need to find my friends!" he begs, swatting at her with his nunchucks. "This Bishop guy is insane and he's after mutants! Who knows what he'll do to Mona?"

He's after mutants? This is just too weird.

Karai puts a foot on Mikey's plastron and pushes off, flipping through the air and landing on the shack he used earlier to sneak up on her. Maybe she can get more information out of this turtle. Her mission today was after all not to find him but a missing mutant, and some strange human hijacking mutants is simply sounding a little too suspicious.

"Who's Bishop?" she demands, pointing her blade at Mikey. He hesitates only a moment before plummeting into a massive stream of words. Karai blinks and tries to take in what he is saying, but he just _talks so much_. "Be quiet," she calls, and his mouth immediately snaps shut. "You're saying this guy tried to get you and your brothers because you're mutants, and now he's got his hands on April and this Mona-whoever-she-is?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Mikey nods fervently, but then his face scrunches up in confusion as he peers up at her. "Wait, why do you care? Why aren't you trying to kill me?"

Karai agilely leaps down from the roof and he jumps back and raises his weapons, but she stays where she is. "I'm looking for someone," she says, eyeing him closely. "A mutant, to be precise." Mikey lets his nunchucks fall and stares at her.

"Dogpound and Fishface are gone?"

Karai stares at him in bewilderment for a minute before her mind catches up with his words. "You've given Bradford and Xever _nicknames_?" she says incredulously.

"Well, technically, I was the one who came up with them, but we all use them." He smiles proudly at her, looking almost as if he has forgotten that she can charge any second. "You want me to give you one? I think… eh... how about... no, that wouldn't work…" He wrinkles his forehead and peers at her. "This was trickier than I expected; you don't really have anything special for me to work with, being human and everything."

She blinks. Did he just call her boring in crazy language? She shakes her head to get back in focus.

"Xever is gone, yes," she says coldly, ignoring the way he stares at her with those big eyes. "I didn't really think anything of it until now, but this Bishop guy might be involved."

Now that the idea has gotten into her head she just can't shake it. No matter how rash he can be sometimes, Xever isn't stupid. Before his mutation, it would have been stupid for him to leave the Foot since deserters weren't looked easy upon, but today it'd be outright stupid. Where can he go the way he looks? Who else happens to have a giant aquarium that they are willing to lend to an enormous, mutated, talking fish who hisses a lot? And the team of Dragons he was working with when he vanished were all found knocked out and battered, none of them able to remember much more than dark clad men emerging from nowhere and attacking them.

"You think Bishop took him?" Mikey chirps, and she glares at him for interrupting her thoughts.

"Obviously, yes. Why else would I have said I thought he was involved?"

Mikey shrugs. "I don't know. To mess with my head? My brothers do that all the time."

"I can't imagine why," she says dryly.

"So do you have a way of finding him?" Mikey asks hopefully.

"Why would I tell you that?" she says distrustfully. "I should just let you deal with your own messes."

"But we have fought this guy," he insists. "We know how he fights, how he works. If you tell us where to look we'll tell you how to fight. Please, we really need to find April and Mona and Don says he can't track her T-phone." His eyes grow wider and wider until they reach full-grown puppy eyes, staring at her and making her uncomfortable.

She wants to finish this, finish _him_, and get back to her mission, but she knows he has a point. She knows nothing about this Bishop aside from his name, and facing him alone would be stupid. Of course, she could call in some Foot soldiers, but if Bishop is even half as good as Mikey says he is they'll be more in the way than to any help. And no matter how much it makes her furious with herself she has to admit: she doesn't want to harm Mikey. It's just those eyes, that gaping mouth and the face covered with freckles. He is just a kid and she can't really imagine him plotting to betray her. If she kills him, or takes him to her father, she'd be not better than the turtles and their blasted master.

She is not like them, will never be like them.

Dammit, she knew talking to one of them again would lead to nothing but trouble.

"There is a tracker installed in Xever's cybernetic legs," she says before she has the time to change her mind. Mikey's face lights up in a wide grin. "I've been following it the past forty minutes and he hasn't moved even once. I think it's fairly clear he's locked up somewhere." She looks the turtle over with doubtful eyes, takes in his scratched shell, well-toned arms and the expert way he swung his nunchucks earlier. He might not be Leo, but he is still one of the turtles, a Hamato, and if there is one thing they can do it is ninjutsu. She might be reluctant to admit it, but her chance of coming out of Bishop's lair alive is much greater with one of them at her side.

But there is no way she'll ever work with Leo again, or even Raph, and Donnie is apparently immobile at the moment.

"Okay," she says. "I'll show you where they are, and you can help out. _But_," she adds as his smile grows even bigger, "only you." His smile falters.

"I can't go with you alone," he says, looking shocked. "Leo would kill me!"

"Then let him," she says coldly. "If he doesn't, I probably will. Besides, how would you get hold of them? You just blew up your phone." She gestures at the still smoking remains of his cell phone and he grimaces.

"I _really_ got to stop doing that."

She decides not to ask about it.

"So are you in on this?" she demands. "Or should I finish this conversation before it drives me insane?" She points her sword at him to emphasise her point and he gulps.

"I'll help you, but not for Fishface," he states proudly. "I have to get April and Mona out."

"Didn't expect anything else." She sheets her sword and reaches out a hand. Her muscles twitch a little as she walks closer, reminding her of what happened last time she trusted one of them, but she resolutely ignores it. "A truce. For now, anyway."

He squints warily at her hand, looking as he suspects she might bite him if he touches it. Karai can't promise she won't.

"A truce," he echoes, and hesitantly grabs her hand. Even through her gloves she can feel the rough texture from the tape around his fingers and his soft scales, and even though she tries she can't fully ignore it. He feels like Leo.

_Just for now_, she reminds herself, feeling her stomach grow a little bit heavier as a smile spreads across Mikey's face and he shakes her hand eagerly. _Just for now_.

* * *

Mona's head feels as if it is stuffed with cotton and wrapped with blazing iron. It throbs and pulsates and she just wants to curl up in a ball and cry, but when she moves a wave of nausea overcomes her and she has to take several deep breaths. She doesn't dare to open her eyes just yet, so she simply lies very still and slowly takes in the world around her. The air is stale and still and smells kind of funny, but she can't really place the odour. She is lying on what feels like thin mattress, lacking both pillow and blanket and made out of a rough texture, and her back is touching a cold, smooth wall. There are no sounds aside from her beating heart and silent breathing rustling the hair hanging over her face.

But wait… something whirrs, just barely audible, and she has to strain her ears to even perceive it. Air conditioning? Security camera? As she listens intently, she catches yet another sound, something very familiar. Someone is breathing.

Wherever she is, she isn't alone.

Mona's breath catches in her throat, but she manages to stay still. She doesn't know where she is, how she got there or who is there with her, and she has a nasty feeling that tells her finding out won't be a pleasant story. Too much people in her life lately have been predominantly hostile, and waking up to yet another newcomer probably won't end well. It really wouldn't surprise her if her roommate has thought her dead, and would prefer to keep her that way.

But it's not like she can play dead for the rest of her life; sooner or later she has to open her eyes.

She is not looking forward to it.

"Are you going to lie there the whole day?"

Mona flinches and swears inwardly. She can't even play dead properly. Carefully, as to not shock her eyes to any sudden light, she opens a lid and peers into the room. Everything is white: walls, floor, ceiling, the mattress underneath her, and everything looks just as sterile and clean. Apart from one thing.

Her heart nearly stops when she sees him, robotic legs, gills and everything. Fishface is leaning against a wall in the corner, eyeing her closely as she opens her other eye as well. He looks very out-of-place in this neat environment, with his damp skin and vicious teeth, but the mess of bruises and still bloody cuts all over his body tells her he probably isn't here voluntarily. Whatever happened to her must have happened to him too.

That doesn't make him a friend, though. She remembers with a shudder how easily he defeated her earlier, and that he'll probably bite her head off if he finds out what she have been up to since last time they met.

And just like that, everything comes rushing back. Angel, Casey. The turtles, Splinter and April. Bishop catching Donnie and Casey, Mona and April freeing them at the cost of their own freedom. The world going black with the last image of Bishop aiming his gun straight at her head.

Mona blinks, clearing her mind from the tsunami of memories, and sees Fishface still staring at her from the other end of the small room. _You should probably say something_, she thinks. _He'll get suspicious if you just lie here like a dead fish. _

_Okay, bad choice of words._

She slowly heaves herself into a sitting position, buying herself some time, and touches the cold floor with bare feet. She flinches at the sight of her green toes and quickly looks away. Something tells her she'll never get used to her new looks. Once up there isn't much else she can do, still being to dizzy to stand up, and no matter how much she scrutinizes her brain she can't come up with anything to say. She's never been the most talkative person, and being faced with a giant, humanoid fish who's possibly considering to eat her certainly isn't making starting a conversation any easier. And she though regular humans could be intimidating.

"We were wondering where you went the other night. Is this where you have been coped up?" Fishface says and Mona breathes out slowly, searching her head for a reply that won't ring too suspicious.

"Yes." She tries to draw out the word as much as possible while she frantically rummages her brain. "They scared off that guy in the hockey mask from the jewellery store, but I never managed to get away. So, here I am." She smiles nervously as Fishface gives her a highly unimpressed look. It amazes her that he manages to bring human expressions onto such an extremely non-human face, even if it's just threatening or scornful ones. He must be practising in front of a mirror in his spare time.

"Oh, then I guess they suddenly and without any apparent reason decided to hit you really hard on the head and move you to my cell?"

Mona opens her mouth, but no words come out. This concussion must have affected her ability to sensible reasoning. Of course he was manipulating her, luring her to say too much; he must have realized that she had just been captured the moment she was dumped in here. She snaps her mouth shut and looks away, refusing to say anything more.

"Care to tell me what you have actually been up to the last couple of days?" Fishface moves away from the wall and draws closer to her in what is definitely a threatening manner. "It's not like there are too many places for a mutant to hide out in this city; I would know. Why didn't you return to Purple Dragons head quarter once you had shaken that human off?" He leans in closer to her, his teeth-filled maw taking up her entire field of vision. "Or were you too busy betraying us to someone? Perhaps a vigilante who, very conveniently, scared off all witnesses and left you alone with him?"

Mona's has to remind herself to keep breathing. That smell she noticed earlier, the funny one that she couldn't place, is stronger now. She realizes that it is the damp scent of his skin and the metallic, oily smell from his robotic legs. Having it reek around her like this isn't very pleasant at all.

"I wouldn't do that," she replies, unable to bring her voice up to anything more than a whisper. "You guys helped me out; I wouldn't betray you, I swear."

He leans in even closer, teeth only inches from her face. She can see the light reflect off of his fangs.

"Then why didn't you come back?"

"I–I was scared of what you'd do when you found out the mission had failed." Well, it is partly true; she had been terrified, even though that wasn't what caused her to stay away. But there is no reason to tell him what had actually occurred. She isn't stupid; just concussed.

Fishface stares at her for another second, then snorts and finally backs off. "Well we certainly weren't happy about it, I can tell you that." He shoots her an annoyed glare, but Mona is too relieved at still having a head attached to her body to take any notice of it.

"I panicked," she says, trying to send him a sheepish smile. Judging on the look he gives her it must be more of a pained grimace. Well, she gave it her best shot. "Sorry."

Fishface grumbles something but quickly looses interest in her, starting to pace the length of the room and glower at the walls. He can only take about three steps before he runs out of space and has to turn around, and looking at him walking back and forth is making Mona's head spin even more than before. She pulls her feet back up on the lumpy mattress, wraps her arms around her knees and stares into the white wall, hearing the constant clatter of Fishface's metallic feet against the floor in the background. Her head still throbs a bit, but all in all she's not feeling too bad.

It only takes her a few minutes to realize that she'll grow mad if she sits on this damn mattress any longer. She glances at Fishface, but he's promptly ignoring her and has all his focus on his whirring legs. Mona has the feeling he doesn't want to converse any more than she does, so she ignores him in return and carefully slides her feet down to the floor. Her head reels when she heaves herself into a standing position, but she manages to stay upright. At the cost of the entire room starting to spin around her, but still, at least she's standing.

Fishface stops pacing as she supports herself against the wall and wobbles over to the door. Her fingers carefully trace the tiny slit between the door and the wall, it's not even wide enough for her to fit her fingernail through, but there is no doorknob to find. They are stuck in here until someone from the outside opens up. She frowns and gives the door a push with her shoulder, hoping against hope that some clumsy intern might have forgotten to lock. The faint excursion of power is enough to make parts of her vision black out.

"There's no use," Fishface says behind her. "I spent half a day trying to kick it down. Do I need to tell you you're wasting your time?"

As her vision clears, Mona notices several dents and scratches covering the otherwise smooth surface. She sighs and slumps down to the floor, head rested against the wall and hands clasped in her lap, too exhausted to stay on her feet. A moment of silence passes before she hears Fishface move again, and when she glances up she sees him leaned against the wall, eyes fixed on her.

"They are going to kill us, aren't they?" she says softly, surprised at hearing her own voice. She didn't plan on saying anything. She'll really have to avoid being concussed in the future.

If she has a future, that is.

"You can stay and die if you want to, I'm getting out of here," he snaps, sounding hostile. He has his arms crossed over his chest and his yellow eyes are glistening.

Mona glances at him and then looks over the door; unless he's planning to shrink to about two inches and crawl through the food hatch, he isn't going anywhere. She leans in a bit heavier on the wall and sighs quietly. Men; they always have to pretend as if they have everything under control.

"What, do you have a plan?" she mutters, not really intending him to catch what she says. The way he tilts his head to the side and stares at her tells her he heard her very well.

"I do now," he says.

She does not like the way he is looking at her.

"What do you mean?" she says cautiously as he slowly walks closer to her.

"They are going to come for you not long from now," he says, eyes locked on hers so that she can't look away. "At least if they treat you the same way they did me."

"They'll come for me?" Mona breathes, feeling her stomach knot into a tight ball. "Why?"

"Routine check, I think. Some needles, x-rays, an interrogation. Nothing big. Won't be too pleasant, though."

"Look, Fishface, I really…"

Her mouth freezes in the middle of the sentence as realization dawns on her. He never told her his name was anything other than Xever. His eyes narrow.

And then he's over her.

Maybe it's just her busted head talking, but it feels like he pretty much teleported from one place to the next. One second she's sitting slumped down next to the door, watching him observe her from a few feet away, the next she's choking as his arm presses over her throat and pushes her into the wall. Her feet are dangling over the floor and she tries to kick him, but there is no power in her muscles and even when she makes contact her feet just slip right off his slimy skin without leaving a mark. He leans in uncomfortably close to her, and if only she could breathe she's sure his breath would make her gag.

"Made some new friends since last time we met, have you?" he asks sweetly. Mona tries to answer him, but the only thing coming over her lips is a tormented gurgle. The world is starting to fade into black and her lungs are imploding. He gives her a resentful glare before easing the pressure just slightly. Mona's body stops jerking once she finally gets to pull a breath.

"They saved me," she croaks, clawing with her hands at Fishface's arm. "From that hockey mask guy."

Fishface uses his free hand to catch her flailing arms and press them into the wall above her head. She's hanging there, unable to do anything.

"And you saw it fit to lie to me?" He opens his mouth and hisses at her.

"I couldn't tell you! I knew you'd react like this!" She uses all her power to swing both her feet up in height with his chest. She wants to cheer when her soles touch his skin, gross as it may be, and pushes with all her might, using the wall as support. He wobbles slightly, but then simply shifts in his stance until her feet slip down.

"Stop that," he growls. "I haven't decided whether or not to kill you yet and you are not making your chances any better." Mona pants but stops her struggling. Surely there must be security cameras in her. If her cell mate tries to strangle her guards must show up. Or maybe they just put her in here because they didn't want to pay for food for Fishface.

"What was I supposed to do?" she cries. He has started pressing harder over her throat again and she desperately tries to reason with him. "I was injured and they offered to help!" Her voice is barely audible now, but he still doesn't ease the pressure. "You need me to escape!" she croaks.

He glares at her, snarls and lets go. Mona falls down into a heap on the floor, wheezing and coughing and desperately gasping for air.

"You can consider yourself lucky," he says coldly, and in the corner of her eyes Mona sees his metallic feet move away from her. Her head is buzzing too much for her to hear the actual steps. She melts into a puddle on the floor, relief making her bones feel like jelly. A coughing puddle of jelly.

"Yeah," she wheezes. "I feel real lucky."

He shots her an annoyed look. "Getting cocky, are we?"

"Nah, just concussed." She giggles. Feeling pain and dizziness have never before been so good. She wants to lie on that floor and smile and draw wheezing breaths for the rest of her life, even though that might not be very long. The laughter dies in her aching throat. She wonders if he would actually have killed her, or if he just wanted to scare her.

"Figures," Fishface grumbles. "I guess I should be glad you're just crazy and not in a coma. You wouldn't be too much use for me then, would you?"

Mona glances at him and tries to read his pinkish face. He definitely still looks annoyed and hostile, but at least that murderous gleam in his eyes is gone. "What could I possibly do?" she mutters. She doesn't feel like lying sprawled on the floor anymore and pushes herself into a sitting position. It makes her head spin a little, but the sensation reminds her that she is still alive and makes a small smile spread across her face. She might have a life in imprisonment to look forward to, but at least she's still breathing. She still has a chance to fix things, to get out of here.

"When they come to get you I'll create a diversion. While they're looking at me, you'll put _this_," he bends down and gingerly wiggles something loose from his metallic legs, "in between the door and the wall." He lifts the object up as if to throw it to her, thinks better of it, walks over and pushes into her limp hand. Mona shudders at the touch of his scales, but tries to hide it as she curiously turns the object over.

It's tiny and flat with a rough surface and slightly resembles a memory card. She can't see what good it could possibly do in a door, or even how she'll get it to stick, and glances up at Fishface with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a magnet that can send out small electrical currents," he reluctantly explains. "It won't be enough to disable the locks, but it will weaken them. It should be enough for me to be able to kick it down." He stomps a heavy metal foot in the floor and grins smugly.

"Oh, okay, I guess that could… wait a second." Mona furrows her brows and stares at the tiny component. "What about me? I'll be stuck in some lab somewhere."

Fishface sighs tiredly. "I thought you were woozy enough not to notice that."

"Well, I'm not." She glares at him and closes her fingers tightly around the magnet. "And I'm not helping you unless you swear that you won't leave me here to die."

He gives her an empty look. "And you'd trust my word?"

Of course she wouldn't trust his word, but what else can she do? It's not like she can turn into the Hulk (although she's already green, so maybe it isn't that far-fetched) and punch her way out straight through the walls. Making him promise is the only thing she can think of.

"You're a ninja, right?" she says slowly, carefully weighing each word. "And a ninja has to stay true to his word at all times, doesn't he?"

He stares at her for a minute and the atmosphere in the tiny room grows thick and heavy. Mona has just started to lose hope when he chuckles softly. "Al right kid, you've got my word." He moves closer to her and reaches out a hand. Mona takes it after only a second hesitation, forcing herself to ignore the clammy texture of his skin. "I swear I won't leave without you."

She smiles weakly and starts to pull her hand away when his fingers close tightly around hers. Her hand starts to go numbs as he pulls her closer to him.

"But when we get out of here, you are going to pay for betraying the Foot."

He lets go and she falls back into the wall, heart thumping wildly inside her chest. There isn't a doubt in her mind he's telling the truth. But she'll just have to deal with that later.

A clang is heard.

The door opens.

* * *

"Donnie, stop it. _Donnie_!"

The purple-masked turtle doesn't even pause to listen to his brother's words. All Leo can do is helplessly watch while his injured little brother limps around his lab and leaves a state of havoc in his wake. Pieces of paper float through the air like snowflakes, machine components are spread across the floor and several monitors are whirring and spreading an eerie light that makes Leo feel slightly nauseous.

"Donnie, _please_!" he begs.

"I can't believe this," Donnie shrieks, talking more to himself than to his brother as he picks up a stack of papers, rakes through it and flings it over his shoulder. "There's got to be a way to track her, there just got to be!"

Leo jumps to the side to avoid the flying notes and reaches for Donnie's arm. His brother flinches and jerks out-of-the-way.

_Splinter should be the one doing this_, Leo thinks, miserably watching as Donnie starts poking and cursing a computer when it works too slowly. _I don't know what to do. What would Captain Ryan do?_

Something tells him slapping Donnie won't work.

But Splinter is busy. Don awoke only a couple of minutes after they reached the lair, and it took him mere minutes to recall what had happened just before he blacked out. It had taken the united force from both Leo and Raph to hold Donnie down when he lunged for Casey, which was rather impressive considering the fact that he must be seeing double.

"How could you be so _obtuse_?" Donnie had screamed at Casey. "Calling in _April_? Bishop is going to kill her!"

Casey, of course, didn't have enough self-preservation to keep quiet but yelled back. Most of his words were insults that made even Raph look shocked, and the rest were slurred and muddled together, probably due to a concussion, but he made enough sense to get his message through: _screw you, Donnie_.

Luckily enough that's when Angel decided to abandon her whole let-Casey-die agenda and saved him from himself by dragging him into the kitchen.

Splinter had not been happy about Donnie's behaviour, but, being a ninjutsu master, he understood that this was not the moment for a lecture. Raph and Leo helped him fix Donnie up, and with every new injury they discovered they grew more and more grim. Someone did this to a member of their family. Traces of guilt still clouded Leo's mind, but he pushed it aside and focused on who was actually responsible: Bishop.

Once Donnie was covered with bandages and stitches and had an icepack pressed against his forehead Splinter left for the kitchen to give Casey a similar treatment, leaving Donnie with the order to get some rest. Donnie did not oblige.

Of course Raph and Leo had been shocked at finding out that April and Mona had been taken, and Leo has a feeling that Splinter is giving Angel and Casey quite the lecture at the moment, but Donnie… Donnie took it really, really badly.

"Why didn't I make the T-phones foolproof?" he cries. "I should have known to make the tracker durable enough to survive anything!" He picks up a half-finished T-phone he's been working on, probably for Mona, glares at it and thumps it back down on his work bench.

"Don, you couldn't have known…"

Donnie flinches and turns to Leo as if first now noticing that he's present. Leo takes a step back at the intensity in his brother's eyes.

"We have to go look for them," Donnie states, sounding as if he has already made up his mind.

"We have already talked about this," Leo says, and moves to block the door out of the lab. Donnie's eyes dart toward the garage door and the Shellraiser standing parked outside, but he must realize that Leo will catch up with him before he's even half-way there and stays where he is, looking exhausted but resolute. "We saw on the news that there have been all kinds of weird stuff going on today and that there are policemen all over the place. If we don't wait until dark to get out there is a big risk that we get caught, and then we won't be able to help anyone. Besides, we have no idea where they are and this city is huge. It'd be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Leo is suddenly reminded of Mikey still being up there. The youngest turtle had called not too long ago and asked what in the world was going on, and Leo had given him a quick rundown of what had happened. It was hardly surprising that Mikey had been horrified for his friends' sake and wanted to, just like Donnie, start looking for them right away. Leo had to order him several times to stay out of it, lay low and get home. It was too risky for anyone to go out at bring him back, but Leo still felt a bit twitchy at the thought of Mikey being up there alone. Fortunately, there is a manhole cover directly over the Lair (they rarely use it, considering the fact that if any of their enemies saw them go down there it would lead them straight to their home), so at least he won't have to sneak through the sewers and look out for cameras.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Donnie shouts, waving his arms wildly. "Just sit down here and roll our thumbs? Hope for the best? Oh no, I know, maybe your girlfriend _Karai_ will help them!" He screams the last word in Leo's face before stomping over to his work bench.

"That was… you know I…" Leo clenches his jaws shut and tries to stay calm. It's not like he could have known she was the Shredders daughter. He really thought there was some good in her, that they had a decent chance of getting her to switch teams. It was a low blow of Donnie to remind Leo of his mistakes like that, and Leo must work hard to remember that he is the leader and must act as such. "What we have to do is figure out a plan," he says firmly. "If we just run out there without one we'll end up messing things up even more."

Donnie turns around and gives him a murderous glare. "Then tell me your plan, Leo. Are we going to track them using my dysfunctional tracker? Hit the street and ask people for directions? _Call the police?_ Why don't you tell me, Leo?"

"If you just give me some time," Leo says slowly, but Donnie cuts him off with a hysterical voice.

"No, I cannot give you any time! He's got my April, Leo! My precious April is in danger because she saved my life! And Mona…" He pauses, panic and horror in his wide eyes. "He's going to dissect her, Leo. Cut her open and study her insides, take her apart piece by piece."

"No, Donnie, you're overreacting," Leo soothes, even though his brother's words are making him feel chilly to the bone. "He probably just wants to lock us up to make sure we aren't wandering the streets causing trouble."

"I'm not overreacting!" Donnie shrieks. "Bishop said it himself! He said: _'Your insides will teach me a lot of how to kill the rest of your kind'_. If that doesn't mean he wants to cut us open and kill us, then tell me!" He shrinks away from Leo and slumps down on a chair, face hidden in his hands. "She wouldn't even be in this mess if it wasn't for us," he whispers. "We've got to save them, Leo."

Leo doesn't know what to say. Sure, there were times when they scared each other with stories of what would happen if they were ever caught, but those stories were all inspired by science fiction and horror movies and all served the purpose to keep Mikey in check. He never really thought anyone, except for possibly the Kraang, would actually want to do such a loathsome thing to them. They might not look like humans, but they are still intelligent, feeling beings and Leo has a hard time accepting that someone would just ignore that, using science as an excuse.

But he does trust his brother.

"We'll find a way to save them, Don," he says softly, walking over and putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I promise. And until then we know that both of them are very capable of taking care of themselves."

Donnie looks up and Leo feels himself soften at the sight of his little brother's tear-filled eyes.

"But I don't know what to do," Donnie whispers. "Everyone think I'm so smart, but when it's really important I can never figure out how to act!" He sniffs and looks away. "I couldn't get a plan together to get April's phone back from Dogpound, I couldn't save Timothy, I couldn't find a way to save me and Casey from Bishop and now I can't figure out how to save the girls!"

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it, Donnie."

They both jump a little at the sound of Raph's voice and Leo turns to see the red masked turtle enter the lab. He must have grown tired of listening to Splinter lecture Angel and Casey in the kitchen.

"You found a way to stop Metalhead, didn't you? You saved April when she fell from that helicopter and defeated Falco when none of us succeeded. If that isn't working well under pressure, then I don't know what is." He glares at his brother and crosses his arms over his plastron. "Now get yourself together and figure out what to do. If Casey walks in here and you look like cry-baby I'll reject you as a brother."

Donnie stares at him for a minute and Leo feels like banging his head in the wall. Or, better yet, bang Raph's head in the wall.

"Smooth, Raph," he mutters, "really smooth."

Raph glowers at him. "There are only so many people I can console in one day, okay? Live with it." He glances at Donnie and sighs. "But I was serious, bro. You can do this, I know you can. You're a freaking genius for crying out loud! If anyone can track down a secret government agency it's you, so just quit your whining already."

Donnie blinks once and looks from Leo to Raph and back again. Leo gives him an encouraging smile and squeezes his shoulder.

"He's right," he says. "Maybe not about the whining-part, but definitely about you being a genius. You pretty much built this place from scratch, using nothing but thrown-away pieces of garbage, and we still have the best tech gear." Leo smiles and feels pride fill him. There are times when he nearly forgets that Donnie is more than meets the eye, that there is a genius hiding under all that excitement and all those big words. But then he does something like turn a subway car into the Shellraiser, or designs a security system worthy of guarding Buckingham Palace, or even whips together an antidote for the bite from a mutant, venomous fish in a matter of minutes, and Leo is reminded that Donnie can do practically anything.

But Leo will never forget that Donnie is their brother, and brothers are always there for each other. "We'd trust you with anything," he says earnestly, knowing that it couldn't be more true.

"We would," Raph agrees. "So, how about that plan, brainiac?"

Donnie hesitates for a moment, and then looks up at Leo, confident back in his face.

"Do we still have any of the parts from those cameras Casey smashed?"

* * *

Kala is confused. The things April told her can't be true; that'd change everything. How can there be mutants who have never been involved with the Kraang? How can there be one of them who grew up as human and still acts like she is one?

Most mutants Kala has encountered in Dimension X were mutated in first hand by Kraang scientists and raised in their labs, and Kala knows by personal experience that those labs are not the best place for a child to grow up. Bishop and quite a few of her fellow older rebel friends are a bit messed up from spending too much time in there, but Kala got out when she was still young enough to not be too deeply affected (she still has nightmares every single night though, but that is a small cost to pay). Mutants are treated even worse than neutrinos, so it's no surprise that none of the hunters or experiments ever developed a sense of conscience or moral.

But even outside of the Kraang facilities mutants always ended up as _monsters._ They hurt people, chase them and attack them and threaten anyone who gets close. That alligator thing was only one of very many examples.

The point is that the mutagen is unstable, and it results in unstable creatures. Even if their intentions are good, and she still has a hard time believing that any of them have good intentions, they'll still always end up losing control over themselves. And when a mutant loses control over itself, people die.

She has lost countless friends that way, and she is not about to let April face the same fate.

But still, her face looked so earnest when she talked about them. There is no doubt that April believes to the bottom of her heart what her mutant "friends" have told her, and the sureness in her voice is making Kala hesitate. There really isn't any point in bringing this up with Bishop. He'll tell her that she's being naïve and childish and then they'll end up fighting with each other and she'll feel even more left out and alone in this new, strange world. But she did promise April to talk to him, and she is a man (or rather a woman) of her word.

He is still in the surveillance room opposite of where April is locked in, standing with his hands behind his back and observing the girl through the glass. When Kala opens the door he only honours her with a quick glance before turning back to April.

Kala quietly walks up to him, desperately trying to figure out a way to ask him about the mutants without sounding as if she believes even remotely in it. In an attempt to buy herself some time she gazes through the mirror and sees April on the other side. The red-haired girl is looking confused and deflated as she slowly paces the room, stops to stare at her invisible observers and resorts to the pacing again. The fierce determindness she displayed earlier is gone, and she finally looks like the scared, trapped girl she actually is. She is waiting for Kala to do what she promised.

"Did she listen to you?"

Bishop's voice pierces the silences and Kala flinches before searching her brain for a reply.

"Well, er, she did hear me out," she starts nervously. "But I don't think she believed me. Those mutants have really gotten to her." She adds the last part casually and glances at Bishop, but he has his full attention on April. Kala sighs; she'll just have to face this one head on. "She told some interesting stories about their origins. Apparently that lizard thing was human until just a few days ago, and those other freaks never even knew about the Kraang until they met her. And none of them are cruel or dangerous in any way." She laughs tensely. "But that can't be true, right? They must have lied to her."

Bishop frowns, something he seems to do a lot, but still doesn't look away from the glass. "We are rather certain who the lizard was before it mutated. A girl vanished down at the docks a few nights ago during a party and everyone assumed she drowned." He snorts, looking as if he finds the naïveté of the common citizen both repulsive and amusing. "But we got hold of a man who was present during her disappearance. He was hysterical, babbling about monsters stealing his chance of achieving his goals in science, but he did mention a girl getting soaked in mutagen. He was very upset with her for wasting his supply. It seems she dived into the water and was never seen again. At least not in her human form, that is."

"Oh." Kala stares unblinkingly at the glass and tries to figure out a slightly more intelligent response. "So, uh, she was human, but that doesn't matter, right? The mutagen warped her mind and now she just wants to destroy things, right?"

"That doesn't always happen, actually. It's a very interesting phenomena and I'm currently working with several different subjects to figure out how it functions." He rubs his chin thoughtfully and looks as if he has nearly forgotten Kala's presence. "I think their actions as mutants revolve a lot around what they were like as humans, if that was their previous form. Aggressive behaviour is increased by the mutation, but a tranquil human becomes a fairly tranquil mutant. Of course they are also greatly affected by whatever animal they were mutated with. Different mutants have different compositions of human and animal DNA due to the instability of the mutagen. The greater their animal side is, the greater is the chance that they succumb to their animal instincts."

Kala's head is spinning. "Aha," she says as she tries to weed through all of the big words. "So basically you're saying that not all mutants are bad guys?"

Bishop frowns. "That's one way to put it," he reluctantly admits.

"But then… wait." Kala's eyes widen once she has fully decoded Bishop's words. "You're working with them? You mean as…" she gulps, "_as lab rats_?" Memories of scalpels and needles flash before her eyes and make her stomach churn. The scars all over her body suddenly feels all the more present.

"Essentially, yes." He glances at her and notices her pale face. "They are not human, Kala," he says coldly. "They are nothing but monsters, even though some of them don't act like it."

"But," she whispers, "if they are like humans, only trapped in mutant bodies…" She doesn't want to think of what that would mean and resorts to safe ground. "How can you treat them like lab rats? You've been in that position, Bishop! You know what's it's like!"

"Enough," he cuts her off, and Kala snaps her mouth shut. "We're in a war, Kala, and a war always has its victims, good or bad." He doesn't sound like he finds it too sad.

"But what April said can actually be _true_!" Kala shouts. "There could be mutants out there who aren't evil, who actually want to help us win this war, and you are trapping them in a lab and _cutting them open? _Some of them are children, Bishop, children! How can you do that, how can you…"

_"That's enough."_ His voice echoes through the tiny room and Kala feels as if every syllable is pounding her down into the floor. "We cannot risk the safety of the entire human race just because some mutants have a _conscience_, and the sooner you realize that the better."

"But…"

"_No_." His eyes are cold as ice when he looks at her. "You need to grow up and see the big picture, Kala. This is too important to jeopardize."

She breathes out slowly and counts to ten. There is no reason to yell, no reason to debate. He won't listen to her. Bishop doesn't listen to anyone but himself.

"I need to get some air," she mutters. "This… this is just a lot to take in, okay? I promise I won't go far."

He doesn't say anything when she leaves the room, but she can feel his eyes burn into her back. The last thing she sees before the door swings shut behind her is April, staring at the glass with big, blue eyes.

* * *

"No, stop! _Stop!_"

A hand shoots out and catches Mikey's arm, roughly jerking him back before he has the chance to start racing down the fire escape.

"What?" he glares at Karai and tugs his arm loose from her grip. "You said they are in there, so I am going in there!" He gestures towards the grey, insignificant-looking little antique shop huddling between the skyscrapers.

Karai moans and rubs a hand over her face. "What are you going to do, waltz right in? They have security, you moron! You won't even get across the street!"

Mikey crosses his arms and glares at her. They might have a truce, but he doesn't trust her for a second. He's still carrying his nunchucks and he's not planning on putting them away until she's somewhere far, far away, preferably back in Japan or possibly on Mars. She hurt his big brother and he's not going to forgive her for that anytime soon. "So what do you think we should do?" he grumbles. "Waltz the other way and leave them there?"

"I don't know! You guys break into places all the time, how do you get past security?"

"Donnie is the one who handles that," Mikey states matter-of-factly. "I just handle all of the awesomeness and butt-kicking."

She stares at him. "So frankly you're useless?"

Mikey's mouth falls open. "_What?_ How could you say that?" He points an accusing finger at her. "I took you down earlier!"

"When I had my back to you," she says dryly. "And I think I dare say that I reversed that situation fairly quickly." She smiles teasingly at him for a second before a strange look flashes over her face and makes her smile stiffen into a harsh grimace. "Forget it," she growls. "We have things to do. Come on." With that she shots off over the roof and flies over to a neighbouring one. Mikey has to come to a scrambling start to keep up with her and she doesn't look like she's going to slow down to let him catch up. Seriously, _what's her problem?_

They move around the little antique shop in a circle and Mikey soon realizes that Karai was right about the security thing. He's standing on a roof on the other side of the street and he can already spot a camera glimmering over the entrance. If there is one he can see at this distance, then how many mustn't there be hidden all over the place?

He gulps as they slow down and start to creep closer. Sure, he might have faced Bishop once before, and sure, he might have taken down a dozen of his henchmen, but fact remains that during that first fight he was knocked out before he even had the chance to see his opponents face. That same man was able to knock out Casey and Leo in a matter of minutes, and then Don, and Casey again. He has the resources to send his men through the entire sewers and get the police off track.

He's freaking lethal and Mikey might have said that he can be of help, but truth be said? He only said that so that Karai would show him where April and Mona were being kept. If he hadn't made his phone blow up he would have texted Leo in secret to get some back-up, but now it was either go with Karai or go home.

And he can't leave April and Mona in the hands of that creep.

"Look." Karai is perched at the edge of a building and peers down at the store with intent eyes. Mikey ducks down next to her and she gives him a quick look before scooting a few inches away from him.

Someone has left the antique shop and is now slowly walking out onto the sidewalk. Mikey is to far away to see the figure clearly, but it appears to be a girl. She's wearing green clothes and has blond hair styled in a short, spiky haircut and wouldn't be very striking at all if it wasn't for the way she's holding herself. She's standing still, weighing from one foot to other as people stream past her and bump into her and send her nasty looks for blocking the sidewalk. It's almost as if she's never seen people before.

Mikey narrows his eyes as the girl slowly sets into motion down the street, head still whipping back and forth to take in every single object and person surrounding her. Karai doesn't hesitate to follow him when he gets up and carefully shadows the girl across the roofs. She is too busy staring at the city to notice them tracking her, but Mikey's eyes are locked on her and he doesn't miss the distinct shape of a gun under her shirt. A big gun.

A Kraang gun?

A big man wearing a big hat and a raincoat walks straight into the girl, sending her stumbling and skidding until she hits a wall. She stands there wobbling for a second, but the man doesn't even slow down his pace. Mikey smiles with glee when she backs away from the crowded street, sending uncomfortable looks at the people passing by before she shrinks back into an alley. Next to him, a smile creeps over Karai's face.

"We've got her now," she muses.

She motions to the left and they split up, sneak along the roofs above the alley and peer down at the girl. She paces back and forth and glances back out the street before she moans loud enough for Mikey to hear and slams her back into the wall. It almost looks as if she's feeling cornered, as if all those people are making her feel trapped. Mikey's hand closes around a drainpipe and he leans out over the edge to get a clearer view of her. Big eyes, tiny nose and cheeks streaked of… tears? Had she been crying?

Something taps his shoulder and he jerks his head back up. Karai is perched on the edge opposite building and she is glaring at her with fierce eyes and a couple of small pebbles in her hand.

_"Stay focused."_ She mouths the words at him and he nods sheepishly. She gives him another suspicious look before motioning with one hand at him and the girl and then at herself and the mouth of the alley. Mikey nods, more surely this time.

They head in opposite directions and Mikey carefully starts descending down to street level. There is no fire escape so he has to rely on windowsills and his own skill, but he still manages to get down without a sound. The girl never looks up but appears to be deep in thought. At her other side Karai silently hits the ground and cuts of the only escape route. The two ninjas lock eyes and Karai gives a soundless nod. Mikey smiles.

They've got her now.

"New to town, are you?"

Her head snaps up at the sound of his voice and her eyes grow to the size of saucers. Mikey flashes a grin at her and swings his nunchucks.

She yelps and ducks and a spray of dust flies through the air when his weapon smacks into the wall. The girl reaches for the gun behind her back, but just as she aims the barrel at Mikey a foot comes crashing into her shoulder and sends her sprawling on the ground. Karai spins around and kicks the gun away. The girl's eyes are big as she watches her weapon skid across the asphalt and comes to a stop at Mikey's feet. Yep, definitely a Kraang gun. He kicks into the air and catches it. The girl looks like she might faint.

Karai grabs the girl's shirt and lifts her up before slamming her into the wall behind a dumpster covering them from the people still walking by on the street. "You," she says sweetly, "are in way over your head. And now you are going to tell me how to get into that place you just walked out of, alright sweetie?"

The girl pulls in a shivering breath, but her big, terrified eyes are glued on Mikey, not Karai. "I'd rather die than betray my friends," she hisses. Karai narrows her eyes and raises a hand at the girl's face.

"What have you done to April and Mona?"

Karai stumbles to the side when Mikey drives his elbow into her side and takes her place before she has the time to land a punch on the girl.

"I know your boss took them and if he has hurt them I swear I'm going to… going to…" His voice falters when no suitable punch lines materialize in his mind and the girl stares, dumbstruck and opened-mouthed, at him. Behind the Karai snorts and brushes the dirt off of her armour.

"I can see why Bradford underestimated you," she says dryly. "You really do not give a too bright impression." Mikey glares at her.

"You are April's friends?" the girl whispers.

"He is." Karai gestures towards the turtle and glowers at them both. "I'm just here to free a colleague."

"I am April's friend!" Mikey grabs the girl's shoulders and shakes her, causing her to yelps and raise her hands in front of her face. Mikey comes to a stop and peers at her pale face between the thin fingers. She actually looks genuinely scared, terrified, even; eyes pressed shut and mouth half open in a silent scream. There is no way she's going to tell them anything if she thinks they are monsters who are going to kill her. "I promise we won't hurt you," he soothes. "Just please, tell me April and Mona are okay. We are supposed to protect them, not let them get captured by some _madman_!" His voice steadily rises during the sentence, until he nearly screams the last word.

"Mikey," Karai scolds. "Keep your cool, would you? And I'm _not_ promising _anything_."

But Mikey can't keep his cool. Here they have a chance of inside information, a chance to get a plan together, and the only thing the darned girl does is stand there, stiff like a broom stick, and stare at him.

"How old are you?" she breathes.

"_'How old am I?'_" Mikey echoes, sure he must have misheard her somehow.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Karai fumes.

"Please, just tell me how old you are," the girl insists, eyes huge and gleaming.

"I'm fifteen. _Now_ could you tell me how to find April and Mona?" He gives her a hopeful look but she just stares right back at him, shock taking over her features.

"That's it." Karai shoves him aside. "I'm taking over here before you make some kind of irreparable damage."

"Wait."

They flinch at the sound of the girl's voice, barely even recognising it when she isn't whispering. She's not sounding tiny and fragile anymore, but certain and even, as if she just made decision she knows will be the end of her.

"I'll help you find your friends."

* * *

**So that scene with Donnie and Leo was originally only supposed to be the two of them, but somehow Raph sneaked his way in there (that is totally your fault, Juanita27! Here, have some credit for it) **

**Before I wrote this chapter I actually planned on letting Karai team up with Raph, but then I realized that the two of them have already had some moments in the show and I wanted to explore her relationships with the other turtles as well. Watch out Donnie, you're next! I'm not sure how well I nailed Karai's voice, I was planning on waiting until she got some more screen time so I had something to work with before giving her a bigger role, but since Nick is taking _for ever_ to air new episodes I decided to go on a whim. Hope I didn't mess up to badly.**

**As always, I love you all a little extra if you leave me a little review telling me what you think.**


	10. Chapter 10: Rescue

**A/N: This is a very Mikey-centered chapter, and I don't know why I made it that way. He is a damned hard character to write correctly (and I don't know how well I succeeded). The rest of the turtle family will get more space from the next chapter, I promise, as will the romantic aspects of this fic (which have been barely even noticable so far). **

**This time Mona is in big trouble, Mikey makes a new friend (and shows his fascination with buttons) and Kala makes a life-altering decision. Plus, the grand return of Irma (sorry it took me, like, five chapters)**

**Also I should mention that I'm not planning on any MikeyxKala. I will try to make them the best of friends, though. And I've made some more art for this fic, if anyone's interested. This time it's not just random doodles but an actual scene from one of the previous chapters. Link at my bio as usual!**

**Disclaimer: I don not own TMNT **

* * *

**Kala's POV**

They clearly don't trust her. Kala can't say she blames them, though, and she doesn't feel ounce of faith in them either.

Or does she? Would she risk everything; her life, April, the entire _planet_, for people, a _mutant_, that she doesn't even trust? She'd like to say that no, she wouldn't, of course she wouldn't. She'd hold her head high and let them kill her before she gave anything up.

And yet here she is, helping them free their friends. Their mutant friends.

It's that Mikey. The way he spoke to her, the look in his eyes when he talked about April and Mona. He was genuinely worried about them, was prepared to give up _his_ life to help them. She never thought mutants could be self-sacrificing, that they could care about anyone but themselves, not even after Bishop told her the truth.

But then again, she never thought Bishop, a fellow Neutrino, would be able to punish innocent beings so severely.

"I'll get in and turn off the power," she says, but both Mikey and the girl, whose name Kala still doesn't know, stare at her as if she's crazy. She furrows her brows. "What?"

"Do you think we are stupid?" the dark-haired girl says with a slow, cold voice, before glancing at the turtle and rolling her eyes. "Do you think _I_ am stupid? If we let you go you'll run straight back to your boss and rat us out."

Kala puffs her cheeks out and sends the girl a vicious glare. "Listen… whoever you are…"

"Karai."

"Karai. I'm trying to help you here. How am I supposed to do that if you won't let me go back inside? It's not like I can turn off the security with my magical mind." Mikey looks like he's pretty convinced by her argument, but Karai just stares at her with a highly unimpressed look on her face.

"You'll just have to figure something out."

Kala takes a deep breath and glowers up at the bright, cloudy sky, trying not to snap at Karai and keep her mind calm. "Okay, how about this: you," she gestures meekly at the other girl, "will go into the store and pretend to be a customer. You'll have to drop the armour, though, or you'll be dead before the door has even closed behind you." Karai's jaw closes a little tighter, but she doesn't argue, so Kala takes it as an approval and continues her explanation. "Then I'll come in, and if I can just get to the back I should be able to cut the power…"

"And how do you plan on doing that? I'm not letting you out of sight and something tells me they'll notice if I go with you back there." Karai raises an eyebrow and awaits Kala's response.

But Kala doesn't know what to say. She isn't a strategist or a fighter, she's a hacker. She can trick any electronic device there is and she knows how to stay hidden (that was, after all, the way she got into Kraang headquarters and through the portal without getting zapped) but doing it with someone else in tow? She glances at Karai and chews her lower lip, but pain doesn't help her come up with anything. It's obvious: she's stuck.

"How about a smoke bomb?" Mikey pipes up.

Karai send him an incredulous look. "You've got smoke bombs?" she says sceptically.

"Yup." The turtle grins and pats his belt. "Home made."

"Why in the world didn't you use them when I attacked you?"

He opens his mouth, blinks once and stares at Karai with a dumbfounded look before sticking a finger in the air in an all-knowing manner. "_That_ is an excellent question." He nods solemnly, as if contemplating one of the many conundrums of the universe. Karai stares at him for another second, but he doesn't look like he's going to say anything more, so she merely rolls her eyes and turns back to Kala.

"So how about it? Can you work with smoke bombs?"

Kala blinks and tries to process the situation. Although her two captors are obviously not the best of friends, she would never have guessed them to be enemies. Their teamwork was just too good, and they clearly have a common goal, but that remark about the attack curtly stated that this cooperation is a one-time thing.

"Maybe," she says slowly, turning her brain back to planning. "If I fake a fire and you fill the entire store with smoke we should be able to sneak to the back and cut the power before anyone gets suspicious." A smile grows on her lips. "They'll just think it was the fire messing up the wiring." This could actually work.

Karai's eyes are gleaming. "Smoke and fire. I like the sound of that."

_Sure you do. _Kala huffs. "Let's go then."

* * *

She's never liked awkward silences. Seeing Karai vanish into the shop, Kala and Mikey huddle in the back of the alley, both keeping very quiet. They decided to wait for three minutes, just in case anyone watching the security feeds would get suspicious at seeing two girls enter the shop at once, and to give Kala some time to work on her fire cracker.

She isn't much of an engineer, but she has the basic knowledge required to make some sparks and flames. It pains her to take parts from her gun, but it's the only electronic she has on her and this is more important than her weaponry. This is about April.

Besides, she can always break into a highly guarded Kraang facility and steal a new one.

She can practically feel Mikey's breath on her neck while working. The silence combined with his round, staring eyes is making it hard for her to focus. Being this close to a mutant is making her skin crawl, no matter how much she's trying to convince herself that it – _he_ – is friendly. She pokes her little device and some sparks erupt into the air.

"Whoa", Mikey gasps. "That is totally awesome! Could you make my T-phone do that? It'd make Donnie flip!" He furrows his brows. "I'd have to get a new one first, though. The darn thing keeps breaking." He draws a little closer to her with every word, and by the time he's finished he's practically standing on her feet. Kala tries to scoot aside as subtly as possible.

"I don't know what a T-phone is," she says. "And not what a 'Donnie' is either." If he's another mutant she might not want to know. "So no, I probably can't."

"Aw." He pouts, and she can do nothing but stare and wonder how in the world a mutant can look cute. He's like a freaking puppy.

She looks away and tries to concentrate on her tinkering, but then he's suddenly closer again and putting his hands on her shoulders. His breath tickles her ear.

"How does it work?" He's sounding genuinely curious, and when she glances at him she sees that he only has eyes for the device in her hands.

"Well," she says hesitantly. "I'm redirecting the current from the shooting mechanism so parts of the wires grows overheated, and then when I turn it on it'll – stop that!" She flings the sad remains of her gun out-of-the-way when he attempts to reach out and poke it with at large green finger. "You'll set it off!"

He barely even notices her. "So you poke it to make it go boom?" he asks, hanging over her shoulders and trying to reach it.

"What? No, _you do not poke it!_ Do you want to lose a hand?" She feels like face-palming and laughing at the same time. He reminds her of what she was like a couple of years ago, before her brothers taught her what happens if you poke electronics the wrong way. But she was never allowed in the field before she learnt her lesson. Someone should teach this kid too, before he ends up hurting someone, most likely himself. "You push this button here," she says and points, deliberately slowly, at the device's biggest, shiniest button. "Then you wait – _I said wait._" She puts a hand on his forehead and shoves him aside when he, yet again, tries to reach for it.

"Dudette," he says, looking hurt. "You can't just say '_push this button'_ and then not let me push it. That's cruel."

"I'm a terribly cruel soul," she states, trying to keep a straight face but failing. Gasping, snorting laughter escapes her and Mikey stares at her, dumbfounded. "I'm sorry," she giggles. "You just… you reminded me of something."

She was about to say _'you remind me of me'_, when she suddenly realized how odd a thing to say that would be. Bishop would have been aghast. Worse, he'd disown her, but not until after he'd chopped her into small pieces and stuffed those pieces into even smaller jars for further study. It surprises her that this realization makes her angry with him and not with herself for sympathizing with a mutant. It surprises her that she's no longer scared of Mikey but of the man she's supposed to trust.

"We should wait for one more minute," she says, exasperated. "Then I'll go in. When you see the smoke well out, use that as a cover to follow."

He nods, and the hurt look on his face is already gone as his eyes are drawn back towards the device.

"So," he says slowly. "What does this button do?"

* * *

**Mona Lisa's POV**

Mona never has been a fan of needles, but it's not like she has a phobia of them. She's taken her fair chair of vaccinations and blood samples during her sixteen years and it's never been much of a problem. It's tricky to get through life if you feel faint every time you see a needle.

But that horrible, enormous thing they stuck inside her arm to drain her blood… it made her feel cold and sick to her very core.

She is lying on her back, strapped onto a hard metal table so that she can barely move anything but her aching head. The surroundings, accompanied by her loss of blood and concussion, are making her feel dizzy and nauseous. Her dream has always been to work in a lab, figuring out the puzzles of the universe, and the few chances she's had to actually set foot in one has always left her giddy and excited. All the beeping machines, the chemicals, the dozens of computers and scientist in their telltale white lab coats had a way of making her dream seem much more real.

Being in a lab with all that equipment and people focused on her, on the other hand, isn't as exciting.

They hauled her out of her room, shooting Fishface with a tranquilizer dart and barely leaving her enough time to stick the magnet onto the doorframe, before they strapped her down on a gurney and rolled her through long, white corridors with bright lights that made her eyes water. None of them had really looked at her, and they acted as if she was part of their equipment, just a biology sample, and not an actual person. The empty looks in their faces when their eyes flitted over her was unnerving to say the very least. Luckily enough they didn't inject her with anything, like they did with Fishface, but she highly doubted it was out of sympathy. Any foreign chemicals in her system would mess up their tests.

Once they arrived in the lab they moved her to the metal table, strapped her down again and then hovered around her while speaking with each other with murmuring voices. Mona never bothered to open her mouth and talk to them when they started drawing blood from her veins and shine painful lights into her eyes. It was obvious they wouldn't listen, and she had a feeling that if she showed even the slightest sign of resistance, such as telling them to get the hell away from her, they would reconsider their decision not to drug her. And it might be unsettling to be awake while the poked and prodded her, but who knew what they'd do if she wasn't conscious. What if they decided to dissect her?

It's been nearly half an hour, and multiple x-rays and disconcerting needles, when the scientists all suddenly go very quiet a second before they start murmuring with each other, louder this time, and draw towards the door. Mona twists on the table, wondering what's going on, but the straps are effectively holding her down. Has the tranquilizer in Fishface's system finally worn off so that he can get her out of here? But no, that isn't right. If an escaped mutant was roaming the corridors the scientists would panic, not leave the room in a calm and ordered fashion. Besides, there is still one of them in here.

She cranes her neck and sees a man clad in a dark suit cross the room before he vanishes out of sight. She gulps and hears him move about the lab with swift, quiet steps.

She knows that suit.

Hands touch her temples and she flinches, but there is nowhere to go and Bishop doesn't even blink while he fastens the electrodes to her head. He moves away again and she can barely catch the sound of him adjusting the settings on one of the machines.

What if she isn't getting rescued? Maybe Fishface won't get the door open, or he won't wake up from the tranquilizer dart, or he'll just leave her here. Maybe he wasn't even there at all and her confused brain just dreamt him into existence. In that case she'll have no other choice than to get herself out of here on her own, however that might go down. What can a girl do when she locked in a lab and strapped to a table with electrodes attached to her forehead? She gingerly starts to twist her hands to get them out of their straps, but all that achieves is making her wrists ache.

"Mona Lisa Martinez?"

She flinches, stops twisting her hands and glances up at Bishop. He stares back at her, eyes dark and empty and one hand resting on the controls of an ominous looking machine.

"How do you know my name?" Mona asks suspiciously.

"You left quite the trail when you vanished." Bishop starts leafing through a bunch of papers lying on the desk behind him. "We have several police reports, interrogations, feeds from security cameras, witnesses." He holds up the papers as he talks, showing her news paper articles, police reports and pictures of her, both as human and in the state she is now. Mona gulps; she never knew it'd be so easy for someone to figure out her identity.

"So?" she says with what she hopes is a defiant voice. "It's not like it matters who I was before."

"That is very true." Bishop puts the papers back on the desk and returns his hand to the controls. "You are not human anymore, and that is all that matters."

She doesn't know how to respond to that, so she simply stares at him, dumbfounded.

"I want you to tell me how to find the turtles." He sounds completely calm, but Mona stiffens.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Pain surges through her, starting at her temples before rushing down her bones and all the way down to her toes. It's gone after only a second, but it still leaves her gasping and heaving, hair frizzling and mouth dry from the current. _So that's what the electrodes were for._

"I would suggest you don't lie to me, miss Martinez," Bishop says coldly. "Just tell me where they are and this will all be over."

_Was that supposed to be reassuring?_ She presses her eyes closed and tries to make her voice firm. She came here with April, the turtles' closest ally, so there is no point in attempting to play oblivious. She'll just have to figure out some convincing lie. To bad she's never been a very good liar. "I was blacked out when they brought me to their home and I couldn't see the way from inside that bike. I really don't know…"

She screams and arcs her back as electricity envelopes her body, a little stronger this time and more than enough to leave her breathless and shivering.

"The docks," she whimpers. "They live down at the docks, in one of the abandoned warehouses, I swear!"

More pain leaves her as a smoking heap on the table, fingers limply clawing at the cold metal. She doesn't know for how long she'll be able to keep this up, but the way her entire body quivers tells her it won't be for long. Hot tears run down her cheeks when she realizes that this man will sooner or later make her betray her friends.

"I know they are hiding somewhere in the sewers," Bishop says. "I told you not to lie to me; it'll only affect yourself."

"They only use the sewers as a way to move about in the city unseen," she sobs, but his hand still moves towards the controls and she starts flailing wildly on the table. "I swear that's where they are!" she screams. "That's where I met them, that's where they hide! Please, you have to believe me!"

And that's when the room goes dark.

* * *

**Mikey's POV**

The shop was filled to the brim with smoke when Mikey entered, screams from people on the street following him inside. He is pretty sure that none of them saw him, being to busy panicking and fleeing from the "burning" building, but it still left him unsettled.

That was nothing compared to how unsettling the rest of this place is. Cool, maybe (there was a hidden door in the back. No matter who built it, that is still cool) but mostly just creepy.

The girl had somehow hacked into the elevator behind the hidden door (Mikey has no idea how she did it when the lights weren't just out, but also covered in smoke) while Karai put her armour back on and Mikey tried not to knock anything over. It didn't go too well.

Now they are standing in silence as the elevator quickly descends into the unknown. The lights inside it flickered on when the doors slid open, but some of the smoke followed them inside and is now making everything look a bit bleary and smudgy. The girl is constantly wringing her hands and Karai is tapping a metal-clad foot on the floor impatiently, making the atmosphere in the tiny room very heavy. Mikey lets out a relieved breath when the doors slide open with a _'ping'_.

The two people waiting on the other side don't look as relieved.

It takes Mikey only a moment to process the situation and shoot out of the elevator, nunchucks in hand. The people are down before they even have the time to scream.

"Pfft," he says, spinning his nunchucks and chucking them back in his belt. "Was that supposed to be a challenge?"

"No," the girl says stiffly. "They are just scientist. They were probably on their way to see what's wrong with the security."

"And _I _took them down," Mikey states proudly. "Take that, science dudes!"

"Would you wipe that smile off you face?" Karai stomps out of the elevator, stepping over and around the fallen people. "You heard what she said: they are scientists, not fighters."

"You're just jealous 'cause I kicked their butts before you could," Mikey teases. Karai huffs in response.

"Whatever."

They drag the two unconscious scientists into the elevator and make sure the doors are securely shut before they take off down one of the white corridors, the girl leading the way. All the lights are out, and the only thing illuminating their path is the eerie, red emergency lighting. All the doors still look very locked, though.

Mikey slides to a stop next to one of them and inspects the array of buttons next to it, fingers hovering above them as he tries to figure out which one is most likely to open the door. The big red one? Nah, too obvious. Maybe he'll have to punch in some kind of code on the numbered ones? Oh, never mind. He spreads his fingers wide and, with a big grin on his face, pulls back his arm to slam his entire palm onto all the buttons at once.

"_Mikey_!"

He flinches and turns to see Karai stare at him through narrowed eyes. "Were you planning to push those buttons?"

He quickly hides his hands behind his back. "Nope."

She stares at him for another second, and then a slow smile creeps over her face. "Good. There are probably locked up mutants in there who'd come out and eat you."

"Hey!" He frees his hands to be able to point an accusing finger at her. "You were the one who created Justin by pushing Kraang-buttons!"

Karai's face is empty. "What the heck is a Justin?"

"_You two!_" It takes him a second to identify the hissing voice as the girl, now standing way ahead of them looking annoyed and edgy. "What are you _doing_? Come on, it's this way. And please, be quiet, and do _not_ push any buttons." She sends Mikey a murderous glare before taking off down the corridor.

"We better do as our little guide says," Karai snorts. Mikey glares after her as she silently creeps after the girl.

"You started it," he grumbles, and Karai's head snaps back at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little cry-baby," she sneers. "Would you have preferred opening the door and getting eaten?"

"_Quiet!_" The girl is looking like a pissed-off demon in the red emergency light as she glowers at Mikey and Karai. "Gosh, the two of you are like a couple of quarrelling siblings. You're going to tell every guard where we are."

"Oh quit your whining," Karai snaps, pushing her way past the girl. "Now where do we go?"

They are lucky enough to get to the first cell without running into anyone, although Mikey can hear distant footsteps somewhere down the corridor every now and then. The girl stops without a word and starts working on the doors lock. Mikey weighs from one foot to the other, staring at her while she works.

"Are you getting in? You are going to get it open, right?" He edges closer and tries to see what she is doing. Karai grabs hold of his bandana tails and yanks him back.

"Get back and let her work," she growls. Mikey is just about to reply when a click is heard.

The door is open.

And then something crashes into it and sends it right into the girl's face.

She yelps and stumbles back, opening the way for a flailing, red-haired figure to more or less falls into the corridor. The figure comes to a stop when it notices Mikey and Karai and stands absolutely still, gasping, shivering and wide-eyed. The red hair settles around it's face.

"April!" Mikey cheers and lunges at her. She groans when he latches onto her, but then her arms are around his shell, hugging him tightly and not letting go. Something in the middle between a laugh and a sob escapes her as she burrows her face into his neck.

"You came! Oh, _thank you_!"

"Well, isn't this cute," Karai drawls, making April stiffen. "But we have things to do, so if you two don't mind…"

"_You_!" April releases herself from Mikey, although he tries to keep clinging to her, but leaves one hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" Her voice is cold enough to make Mikey shiver.

"I just don't get you guys."

April grows even more rigid when the girl suddenly speaks up. Mikey glances at their guide and can't help but to wince at her appearance. Her spiky hair is standing in all directions, her nose is oozing blood after it's meeting with the door and the entire right side of her face is already starting to bloom with dark bruises. She doesn't seem to mind the pain all that much, though, and simply regards Mikey and the others with an exhausted expression as she presses one hand onto her nose to stop the blood flow.

"Why do you work together when you are so obviously enemies?"

Mikey and Karai glance at each other and then answer in chorus: "It's complicated." Karai flinches and Mikey grins. "_That_, was awesome," he adds, much to Karai's obvious dislike. April gives him an incredulous look before turning back to the girl.

"Kala?" she says, sounding sceptical. "What are you… how… _why_?" The girl – no, _Kala_, Mikey corrects himself – gives a wry smile.

"Turns out Bishop's been keeping secrets from me," she says evenly, wiping blood from her face and ending up smearing it all over her cheeks. "And I do not like being lied to. Now come on, we have people – eh, mutants – to save." She quickly turns away and hurries down the corridor, but Mikey can swear he saw tears glinting in her eyes.

"Hey." He frees himself from April's hand and hurries after Kala. "Are you okay?" She flinches, and he sees her shoulders tense.

"Yeah," she mumbles. "I'm fine."

He doesn't believe her, but when he tries to reach for her again she jerks aside, gives him a hunted look and hurries away again.

"Fine!" he calls after her, exasperatedly spreading his arms wide. "I'm only trying to help, but do run away if that makes you feel better!"

"I'm not running away," Kala snaps, rubbing ferociously at her eyes. "I'm looking for your friend. Now hurry up!"

"Oh, right." Mikey grins sheepishly. "Mona's still in here somewhere." He doesn't feel as worried as when they first got in. They have barely faced any opponents, Kala can get them passed all locked doors and April is alive and well. Mona is probably locked in a similar room somewhere.

"We shouldn't trust them." April has caught up with him and is glancing from Karai to Kala and back again with narrowed eyes. "Where are the other guys? Are they looking for Mona?"

"Nah, it's just me." Mikey smiles at her shocked face. Before she has the chance to reply, Kala holds up a hand and motions to them to be quiet before she starts working on another door. It takes her only a couple of minutes to get it open.

"This is where the labs are." Her voice is quiet and tense, and she looks like she's rather be at any other place than here.

Doors line the new corridor they have stepped into, but unlike the one that hid April these are all sporting windows that allow you to peek into the room on the other side. Kala is only throwing a quick glance through the windows, looking almost nauseous, but Mikey can't help but stop and press his face to the glass at the very first door. The room on the other side is dark and empty. He disappointedly drags himself after the girls.

They have been on the move for a couple of minutes when Kala suddenly comes to a screeching stop in front of one of the doors, her face turning very, very pale under the blood. "Oh Bishop," she whispers, staring through the glass. "What have you_ done?_"

Mikey does not like the tone of her voice and gulps nervously. Kala's hands are shivering as she picks the lock of the door.

The first thing Mikey notices when it slides open is a strangely burnt smell, followed by a low, barely audible groan. He quickly pushes the hesitating girls aside and rushes into the darkened lab.

"Mikey!" April calls quietly after him. "Be careful!"

But Mikey isn't listening. His eyes are glued to a table standing in the middle of the room, barely visible in the creeping emergency lights in the corridors. On it lays a limp and very still figure, illuminated by the red lights. The sound of its rasping breaths fills the room.

"_Mona_!" Mikey shrieks, stumbling over his own feet as he rushes to the table. The lizard-girl's head lolls limply to the side and she regards him through blood-shot eyes.

"Mikey?" she mumbles, voice hoarse and raspy. She looks like she's stuck her fingers into an electric outlet; hair standing in all directions and lips dry and cracked.

Behind him Mikey hears April yelling at Kala and Karai scolding them both for not keeping quiet, but he tries to ignore it as he pulls at the restraints holding Mona down. They won't even budge.

"_You said she was fine! You said they hadn't done anything to her!_" April screams.

"_He lied to me!_" Kala yells back.

"_Stop that before I stab you both_," Karai threatens.

"I really did expect more from you, Kala."

Absolute silence settles over the room. Mikey's hands freezes on the restraints around Mona's wrist as he looks up and peers into the dark corner of the room. A quick, strangled sob escapes Mona when a black clad man steps into the red light, his face cast in shadow and eyes gleaming.

"Bishop," Kala whispers.

"And why am I not surprised?" Karai huffs, the sound of her blade being freed reverberating through the room. Bishop doesn't even look at her.

"Trying to free prisoners, cooperating with criminals, cooperating with _mutants_." The shadow that is Bishop shakes its head slowly, as if Kala is a little child who has disappointed him deeply. He doesn't look all that threatening, though, just standing there. A little hope starts to rise inside of Mikey. Maybe they can take him. There are four of them, after all.

"You better not come any closer," he threatens, flicking his nunchucks out and spinning them through the air. "Unless you think you can handle my _hot, nunchuck fury_." He grins, flicks his wrist and sends his kusarigama chain straight for Bishop's face. "Take that, uglyface!"

But Bishop isn't there anymore. Mikey's chain hits the far wall with an echoing clang, never even touching the dark-clad man.

"Mikey, watch out!"

He turns just in time to see April leap forward, curl up her arm and send a punch for Bishop, who has somehow managed to circle Mikey and end up behind him. "April!" Mikey shrieks, but Bishop only ducks and pushes her back almost gently.

"I strongly suggest you move back, miss O'Neil," he says coldly. "This isn't your fight."

She staggers back, but comes to a stop when Kala puts a supporting hand on her shoulder. April shrugs her off immediately, glares at her and then aims her furious look at Bishop. "Are you kidding me?" she snarls. "If you hurt my friends you freaking make it my fight!" She steps away from Kala and falls into a defensive stance.

"Get back, newbie." April stumbles when Karai pushes her way past, blade singing through the air and face hidden behind her metal mask. Bishop easily sidesteps and counters with an elbow to her stomach, making Karai fall back onto the floor and clumsily roll back to her feet. "Oh, you'll regret that," she growls. "_No one_ messes with the Foot."

"The Foot what?" Kala echoes.

Mikey catches Karai's eyes and nod.

"Booyakasha!"

They lunge both at once, coming at him from two different angles. He seems taken by surprise for about half a second, then his hand shots out, latches onto one of Mikey's twirling nunchucks and flings the turtle straight into Karai. The two of them fall into a tangled heap on the floor, Mikey losing one of his weapons and aching all over after the meeting with Karai's armour. He's glad he's got his shell.

Bishop isn't giving them a moment's rest but immediately sends a powerful kick for Mikey's unprotected head. The turtle yelps and roll to the side, but the foot still catches his right shoulder and sends him skidding over the floor until he crashes painfully into a bench. Vials and test tubes fall down around him and scrape his skin.

Before him Karai is fighting to stand her ground against the bigger man. She ducking and running and looking like a shadow, and for the first time Mikey fully understands what a skilled kunoichi she is. He wonders if she was holding back during their fight earlier.

But even while using all of her skills she doesn't stand a chance against Bishop. None of her punches or kicks hit home and she's already staggering from her injuries. Mikey gasps when the man grasps her arm and flings her over his shoulder, sending her back first to the floor in front of him. A sickening thud fills the room and Karai groans.

"You leave my enemy alone!" Mikey pushes himself up using the bench, feet crunching painfully against the shattered glass, and charges Bishop with a roar.

He never even manages to touch him. The man jumps, by means of some kind of impossible strength, and then spins in the air, chucking one of his feet painfully into Mikey's cheek. Mikey's head snaps to the side with an unsettling crack, and for a moment the world goes black. He stumbles and waves his arms around and calls out to the others.

"Hey guys? Guys, this isn't good! This plan _sucks_!" He wants Leo, who would've figured out something better than this. He wants Donnie, who would've known better than to just charge into a guarded lab like this. He even wants Raph, 'cause Raph would have helped him out right now.

Instead his hands helplessly flail through the air, and then something big and heavy smashes into his good shoulder and sends him to the ground. His sight comes back, but all he can see is a spinning room and blood on his green skin.

"_Stop!_" Kala's voice is high and shrill, but determined enough to make Bishop stop just as he's about to send a fist into Karai's face. The kunoichi staggers back and stares at Kala. She's holding her Kraang gun in both hands, firmly locked on Bishop. The gun is way too big for her, but her bruised and bloody face is set in determination and she's standing her ground. "You know I know how to use this," she says, sounding very stressed out. "So just step back, okay?" Mikey stares at her with gaping mouth.

"I never expected this from you. Betrayal, collaboration with _mutants_." Bishop's eyes are furious and every word makes Kala cringe as if he'd slapped her. "You might as well hand miss O'Neil over to the Kraang with your very own hands." Behind him April flinches where she's standing next to Mona's table, where she'd been busy trying to pry the other girl's restraints open.

"I can take car of myself," she states, sounding offended, but neither Kala nor Bishop as much as look at her.

"You have misused your authority," Kala quakes, voice quivering. "These mutants don't deserve what you are doing to them, and I won't let you hurt innocent beings. Now hand over the keys to those locks before I shoot you." She nods at Mona's table.

"But," Mikey starts, feeling confusion cloud his brain. "I thought you took that gun apart." All of them, even Bishop, stare at him, and then it dawns on him. "Oh, _oh!_" He slaps a hand over his face. "You were bluffing! That's really sma… oh." The hand slips down. "Sorry." He grins sheepishly.

"You little _idiot_," Karai snarls, sending him a lock that might very well kill him.

A buzzing sound fills the room, making them all flinch, and then the lights suddenly flickers on. Mona groans and twists on her table as little lights and visors on the many machines crowding the room come back to life. "No more," she moans. "Please, no more."

"This is over." Bishop steps away from them, walking backwards towards the door. "The guards will be here any minute now." He sends Kala a completely empty look. "It's too bad they got to you. You were promising. I regret what will happen to you now."

Another step closer to the door, and then–

_Smack!_

Bishop falls face first to the floor, limp like a ragdoll.

"It seems like you're in the need of some help." Fishface lowers the leg he used to kick Bishop in the head and steps into the room, poking the man's unconscious body with a metallic toe and smirking at them. Mikey's jaw drops for what has to be the hundredth time that day.

"Talk about cutting it close," Karai mutters, but there is an obvious look of relief in her eyes as she limps over to Mona and April. "Move back." She gives the redhead a shove and lifts her blade.

"Wait, what are you–" Mikey staggers to his feet and falls back down face first with a scream as pain stabs through his feet. _Note to self: do not step barefoot on broken glass._ He crawls back up just as Karai brings her blade down on the restraint over Mona's left wrist. It snaps open with a click. "Guys," he calls, calmed now that he knows Karai wasn't after injuring his friend. "I'm _hurt_ over here. Could someone please give a wounded turtle a hand?"

April sends Karai a suspicious look before she walks around her, far around her, and yanks Mikey up. He thankfully puts an arm around her shoulders and she staggers under the extra weight. "Sheesh Mikey," she pants. "You really should cut back on all that pizza."

Mikey smiles at her and looks over at Karai who has just finished freeing Mona. The lizard isn't looking like she'll be going anywhere on her own, though, and Karai quickly grabs her shoulder when she nearly rolls off the table. Mona sways back and forth for a moment, and then locks eyes with Fishface. "You came," she breathes, still sounding hoarse.

"Yeah yeah, ninja honour and all of that crap." He waves it away with a look that says he'll bite the head off anyone who brings it up again.

"Hey, elf girl," Karai calls, not acknowledging the quick conversation in any way. "Get over here and help the lizard."

When no one moves Mikey searches the room until he finds Kala. She has moved back to a corner of the lab and is looking very tiny as she stares at Fishface with wide, terrified eyes. The Kraang gun is clutched tightly in her hands, as if she's refusing to admit that it is useless. "Hey," he says, and she jerks her head to him. "What's wrong?" He doesn't like seeing her like this, not after she worked so hard to help them out.

She looks back to Fishface and he finally notices her staring gaze and glares back. She gulps. "He isn't like you, is he?" she asks Mikey weakly.

"He is pretty much everything you talked about earlier," April cuts in. "So you better keep your distance."

"Yeah," Fishface drawls. "Distance will make you live longer." Kala pales.

"Ey," Karai snaps. "I told you to get over here." Kala hurries over to the two, but keeps to the walls, as far away from Fishface as she can get. Mikey notices how she hesitates before putting her arms around the lizard girl, and how she won't look at her.

Guilt? Or does she still have her issues being around mutants?

"Okay." Karai limps toward the door where Fishface reaches out to her, put she makes a face and pushes his hand aside. "Let's get out of here before those guards show up."

"They are stopped for the moment," Fishface says ruefully. "I took out a whole bunch of them on my way here."

"Then they will know for sure that we're here," April says tightly. "How are we supposed to get out of here when half of you can barely even walk?"

A moment of silence passes the room, and Mikey is suddenly aware of the sound of footsteps and people calling in the distance. There is either a parade coming…

…or the guards are onto them.

"I've got an idea," Kala says.

* * *

**April's POV**

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" April's shoulders are aching, but that doesn't stop her from dragging Mikey along after Kala.

"What could I possibly be winning on _tricking_ you?" Kala sounds bitter. "I've already lost everything, haven't I?"

April refuses to feel sorry for the other girl.

They are in some kind of garage far down in the building, surrounded by so many black vans that there is no point in counting them. Fishface and Karai are busy slicing their tires while Kala tries to hotwire one of them. She's already hacked into the garage door, a tunnel she says will lead them to the surface in a nearby warehouse, and if it wasn't for the lies she's told, April might have been impressed.

But the sight of Mona, now sitting slumped on the Stealth Bike close to the door, is more than enough to make April furious. _Her friend was strapped to a table in a lab_. There were electrodes attached to her temples! She's lost her black hoodie somewhere along the way, and is now only sporting her green, reptilian skin, just like the turtles, but she doesn't seem to mind all that much. There is a dazed look over her eyes and multiple red marks along her arms, no doubt from needles.

_And Kala said she was fine_, April thinks bitterly.

The van comes to life with a roar and Kala slams the hood shut. "Right," she says, wiping her hands on her green skirt. "Let's get going."

April helps Mikey over to the Stealth Bike (she can still barely believe that Bishop's men just put it in their garage, as if it was _theirs_) and sits down in front of him.

"Hey!" Mikey whines. "It's my turn to drive!"

"Do you know how?" April turns back to him with a raised eyebrow.

"I could improvise."

"Now _that_ would be an interesting experience." She smiles, but doesn't give up her seat. "Sorry, bro, but I want to get out of here alive." He pouts but doesn't argue as she puts her hands on the handles.

"I will open the door and you two will drive through first," Kala instructs, pointing at Karai and Fishface as they file into the van. "Then you guys follow and stop on the other side." She waves at April and the others on the bike. "I will get through, close the door and give the lock a meltdown and then we will be on our way." She gives them an exasperated smile and starts walking over to the huge garage door.

"No way. You think we will actually let you _come with us_?" Kala stops at the sound of April's incredulous voice and turns back to them, fear in her face.

"I can't stay here," she says, spreading her arms wide. "Bishop is going to kill me!"

"April, we can't just leave her," Mikey cuts in. "She helped us save you guys. She betrayed that creepy dude for us."

"And that doesn't come as even a bit suspicious to you? For all we know this is all a big set-up!" She glares at Kala, who immediately recoils. "Bishop disowns her so that we will take pity on her, and then, once we have shown her the lair, she will stab us in the back."

"Oh, yeah," Mikey says. "That _does _ring some bells."

Kala looks horrified. "I would never do that!"

"I don't care what you do as long as you open that door right now," Karai says, snapping them out of their argument.

"But you can't leave me here!" Kala is starting to look desperate. "There isn't a chance I will get out of here on foot without getting caught, and all the other vehicles in here were just ruined!"

"Why don't we just give her a ride?" a low voice murmurs. It takes April a moment to realize it is Mona. "We can drop her off somewhere along the way."

April doesn't want to give in, but the sound of running footsteps start echoing through the garage, declaring that they are out of time. "Fine," she snaps. "Just open the damn door." Kala nods stiffly and runs over to the door while April kick-starts the bike's engine.

"Hey, you guys!" She flinches at the sound of Karai's voice. The kunoichi is sitting in the van's passenger seat, looking very tiny (they had to find the biggest vehicle around for Fishface to fit at the wheel) and leaning out the still open door. "This doesn't change anything!" she calls. "You betrayed me and I'm still going to get you for it!"

"All we've ever done is self-defence!" April screams back over the sound of revving engines. "It was your family who started all of this!"

"Yeah!" Mikey cheers in. "Ask your _daddy_ what he did to Tang Shen!"

What's visible of Karai's face behind the mask turns a bright red, but she never gets the chance to reply.

"What are you waiting for?" Kala shouts. "Drive!"

The van comes to life with a roar as Fishface steps on the gas and Karai is flung back in her seat. April can hear the kunoichi yell at the mutant as the two of them vanish down the dark tunnel. She quickly follows them before, reluctantly, stopping to wait for Kala on the other side of the door. It only takes the girl a couple of seconds to get the door closed, and only a couple more before yelling is heard on the other side. They got out in the last minute.

They zoom through the tunnel faster than what April thought possible with four people on the bike. Donnie must have worked really hard to make sure it'd be strong enough.

_Donnie_… She remembers what he looked like when she found him in the back of that van. What if Bishop hurt him so badly he won't ever recover? Is he even alive? A whole new wave of white-hot fury for the man who hade the nerve to say he had only her best in interest washes over her. How could he possibly think it was in her best interest to hurt her friends?

They drop Kala off in a quiet part of town, next to an abandoned building where there is currently no people around. She gets off the Stealth Bike with a confused and sort of dazed look on her face, but she doesn't argue. April can sense that Mikey isn't too happy about how things are unfolding, though. She revs the engine and takes off down the street before he has the chance to protest. When she glances back the girl is still standing on the sidewalk, looking as if she has never seen a city before.

By the time they reach the lair April is close to her breaking point. Every shadow looks like an agent, every movement is a threat. She is practically hyperventilating when they hide the bike in an alley and sneaks down the manhole cover directly above the lair to make sure that none of the newly installed sewer cameras notice them. She has to walk the short but way-to-open distance twice: first with Mikey, who is complaining wildly about his still bleeding feet, and then with Mona, who isn't speaking at all. Her heart is beating rapidly as she finally slips the cover back in place above her.

She's home.

"Mikey? Is that you? Where have you _been_?" Leo walks into the room, his face set in a worried scowl and his arms crossed over his plastron. The way his jaw drops when he notices his little brother isn't alone is kind of cute. "_April?_" he breathes. "_Mona?_"

"Hi Leo." April smiles weakly at him, wanting nothing more than to just lie down on her bed and sleep for ages. But not until she knows Donnie is okay. He goes before _everything_ right now.

"April, I can't believe you're okay!" Leo tackle-hugs her, just like Mikey did earlier, and nearly crushes her. "Guys, get over here! You won't _believe _this!"

"I'm busy!" a voice calls back. April's heart nearly stops; that was _Donnie_.

"I don't care!" Leo calls back. "Get over here now!"

April detangles herself from Leo as two other turtles enter the room, one heavily supported on the other and grumbling under his breath. "Donnie!" she cheers. "You're okay!"

The purple masked turtle looks up and the expression of utter shock on his face is nearly identical to the one Leo wore only a minute earlier. "Apr– " he starts, but then he's cut short when she latches onto him.

"I was so worried about you," she says, feeling hot tears stain her cheeks. "Seeing you in that van – I thought you were… you were…" She bites back her words and hugs him closer. She feels a hand on her shoulder as Raph gives it a tight squeeze, and then it's just her and Donnie again.

"I was worried about you to," he says, gasping under her grip but hugging her back nonetheless. "I'm so glad you – oh_, ow_!"

April stiffens and pushes him back. "Are you hurt? Am I hurting you?"

"No no," he insures. "I'm fine, hugging is fine." He tries to pull her back but she keeps him at an arm's length, taking in all the bandages covering his green skin.

"Oh, Donnie," she breathes. "You poor thing." His cheeks turn a bright pink.

"What happened to her? Mikey, _what did they do to her_?"

It's Raph's voice, and when turns around she sees him kneeling next to Mona Lisa, looking as if someone clocked him in the head with a baseball bat. Mona has her eyes closed and covers away whenever anyone reaches out to her.

"I don't know," Mikey sighs. "She was like this when we found her."

"Bishop has done something to her." April takes Donnie's hand and starts toward the other four. When he staggers precariously she quickly drapes his arm over her shoulders to stabilize him. "Come on, Don," she urges gently. "You've got patients to care to."

* * *

**Irma's POV**

Being stuck in a closet isn't fun. You might think that there are loads of things you can do when locked in an enclosed space on your own, but really, there isn't. She couldn't even text anyone 'cause that darn Karai had stolen her phone.

Irma sighs and tries to stretch to get the kinks out of her muscles, but there just isn't enough room. She grumbles to herself and sits back down on the floor, having to curl her knees up to her chest to fit properly. This, in all different aspects, _sucks_.

She doesn't know how long she's been in this dusty, mouldy-smelling closet, and she doesn't know for how long she'll be kept in there. For all she knows, Karai and Fong might have forgotten all about her and will let her starve to death. Irma has always liked clothes, but that doesn't mean she wants to end her life in a closet, especially not if said closet is filled with _ugly_ clothes.

_Yep_, she thinks, _this is what you get for trying to investigate a crime_.

The silence in her tomb-to-be is suddenly chattered by a scraping sound. Irma quickly gets to her feet; she knows that sound.

Someone is unlocking the door.

It is dark outside when it swings open, and it takes her a moment to identify her rescuer: it's Fong. "You!" she cheers. "Oh, I _knew_ you wouldn't let me die in here! I can't believe you'd leave your gang just to save me! Oh, that is so sweet!" He looks rather shocked when she steps out of the closet and spreads her arms wide to hug him.

"Shut up." He grabs her arms and pushes them down to her sides. "I'm not leaving anything."

"Oh." Irma pouts disappointedly; part of her thought she had finally found her knight in shining armour. "But then why are you…"

"It's not for you." He give her a disapproving look and lets go of her arms. "A friend of mine is in trouble, and if you help her out I'll let you live."

Irma smiles; it sure is one crappy cover, but that did definitely sound like a reluctant hero coming to her rescue, trying to pretend he's still all tough and bad so she won't see how soft he really is. "Sure," she purrs, batting her eyelashes. "What can I do for you friend?"

He stares at her. "Stop that?"

She frowns. "Stop what?"

"Listen." He sighs and rubs a hand over his face. "Last night my friend Angel got herself mixed up with the turtles, and the Shredder isn't happy about it."

"Again with those turtles," Irma grumbles. This is not the direction she wanted this conversation to take. "What are they, a rivalling gang or something?"

"That doesn't matter." Fong grabs one of her arms again and starts dragging her through the room. "The point is that I pretty much owe Angel my life, and if she comes back here she'll be killed in the most slow, painful and gory way possible." He stops at the far wall and carefully peeks through the door before lugging her into the next room. "I'm the only one of the Dragons who knows where she lives, and the Shredder doesn't know that, but I can't warn her because someone would notice if I just waltzed into her apartment."

"So you pretty much just want me to find her and tell her to stay away?" Irma says.

"That's the deal." They've reached another door, but on the other side of this one isn't a dark room. Daylight washes in over them and nearly blinds Irma. "This is her address. Find her. Today." He presses a small note into her hand and pushes her through the door.

"Wait." She turns back before he has the chance to close it and shoves her foot in between the door and the wall. "Will I ever see you again?"

He glares at her. "For your sake, I hope not. You will not walk out of this place alive a second time." With that he steps on her foot until she removes it and slams the door shut in her face.

* * *

**A/N: Will Karai find out the truth about her origins? What is Kala going to do with her life? And what in the world happened to Casey and Angel? Tune in next time to find out!**

**Also please leave a little review and you will make me squeal of happiness and write faster.**


	11. Chapter 11: Healing

**AN: Sorry about taking forever to update this thing, but school just started up again (listen to me cheer...) and I haven't got as much time to write anymore. I've also spent an unreasonable amount of time on my art and finally started an account on DeviantArt. I'm called Nella-planet ('cause I've got absolutely no originality when it comes to names) and all my earlier TMNT related art, plus some new stuff, is up there.**

**Well, here you go, the long-awaited chapter 11, in which Mona is recovering, Mikey can't walk and Kala is conflicted. And also, Irma has a run-in with a certain purple-haired girl (those two are just so much fun to write! Expect more Irma interactions in the future!)**

**Oh, and regarding some comments I got about Bishop's "evilness", don't worry. I'm far from done with him. He's got some character development look forward to.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Healing**

**Angel's POV**

Angel didn't want to go home, but Master Splinter had pretty much thrown Casey at her and shown them the door (but in a much politer manner, of course). He was angry with her, she could tell, for letting April and Mona head without telling him. But Angel wasn't a snitch; if anything, she despised people who rat others out (oh yes, the pun very much intended).

So now she's heading home with Casey's arm draped over her shoulders, staggering under his weight and having to stop to catch her breath every now and then. They left the lair nearly half an hour ago, but unluckily for them there is no bus that happens to pass by just outside of their apartment complex, leaving them to walk the last kilometre or so. Ever since they took off together neither of them have said a word, and by now Angel can see the house looming before them.

She draws a deep breath and tries to figure out a way to say she's sorry about her behaviour, without making him think that what he did was okay. If she learned anything from today's events it's that there is no reason to hold on to this grudge, other than her own obstinacy. She saw the way Casey and Donnie looked when they came back, and no one had to explain to her that Casey stood by the turtle's side during the entire fight, even though he obviously didn't stand a chance. He could have run, like Donnie most likely told him to do. He could have turned back and pretended like none of this ever happened.

But he didn't, and no matter how much it pains her Angel has to admit that she was acting childishly before. Sure, what Casey used to do during the nights was idiotic but it's not like she was up to anything better, and at least he had the gut to admit he was wrong. She knows what April and Mona (_oh god, April and Mona_) said earlier that day got to her, and she knows they were right.

But no matter how much she tries to bring up the courage to say it, all that comes out is a nonchalant: "So what are you going to tell your mom about this?" She gestures meekly at his bandaged head and general bruised-up-ness, trying to hide the fact that she wants to facepalm. Casey tries to shrug.

"It's not the first time I show up with a couple of bruises. She won't be happy about it, though."

Angel nods slowly. Casey's family is more dear to her than her own, with the exception of her brother. His mom has helped her out with homework, and given her advice about boys, and even let her and her brother stay over the days their mother is a little extra out of it. She's a very special woman who knows what she wants, and even though Casey doesn't seem to worry Angel has a suspicion that he'll end up being looked up in his room for some time being.

"Casey-" The words die in her mouth and she gulps. "I'm s- I'm so-" She hisses, grinds her teeth and then simply spits it out. "_I'm sorry_."

Casey's head snaps up. "You're what now?"

She elbows him roughly in the ribcage. "Shut up."

He cringes and rubs his sore ribs before giving her a sheepish smile. "No, really. Why'd you be sorry? I'm the idiot, remember? _I'm_ sorry!"

"Yeah," she snorts, "you are. But I really wasn't a saint myself."

They stop, having suddenly reached the apartment complex, and Angel shoves Casey's arm off of her so that she can step up and open the door. He wobbles precariously up the stairs and she barks out a laugh.

"Your mom's going to think you're drunk."

"Nah, my mom know how a drunk person acts. Shadow, on the other hand…" He shakes his head, looking as if he mourns one of the world's greatest losses. "That girl's going to grow up a very confused being."

"She's going to grow up a wrestler and a race car driver who busts criminals on her spare time and collects people's beaten-out teeth," Angel states. Casey's seven-year-old sister might look more like an angel than Angel herself, but she knows how to get what she wants, either through sheer force or manipulation. Having grown up with Casey and his mother and Angel as her almost-sister, nothing else was an option.

"A confused wrestler/racer with a teeth collection," Casey persists.

He limps through the hall toward the elevator. Angel stops with her hand resting on her apartment's doorknob, hesitating and watching him as he waits for the elevator.

"You know," she says slowly, "even though all these really crappy things have happened, I'm still, with certain exceptions, kind of happy they did. It got me to wake up."

"I see what you mean," he replies. The elevator pings and the doors slide open. He steps through and sends her a small smile before they close again. "Catch ya later, Angel. Stay out of trouble."

The sound of some bad soap opera pierces through her head the second she steps into the apartment. She grimaces at the sight of the dancing lights spilling out of the living room and wonders if her mother has fallen asleep in the couch again. A head with ruffled black hair peeks in through the kitchen door.

"Hi sis," her little brother says, glaring at her. "Nice of you to warn me about your annoying friend coming over. Really, keeping her company has been the time of her life."

Angel frowns at him. "What friend? I'm not expecting anyone, Ryan."

She's answered by another head peeking out, sporting dark brown hair and a pair of very colourful glasses. The girl smiles happily when she discovers Angel standing in the hall.

"There you are!" she crows. "I've been waiting forever for you!"

Angel stares at her.

"Who the hell are you?" she demands.

"I'm Irma, silly." She pushes Ryan out-of-the-way and bounces, actually _bounces_, through the hall. "And I come carrying a message from your knight Sir Fong."

"You have weird friends," Ryan deadpans, before turning on his heel to leave the room.

"Oh, like yours are any better!" she calls after him, but she can't keep the smile from her lips. He might act like the typical grumpy teen, but he can't hide the fact that he cares more than he should. What other kid would keep his sister's crazy so-called friend company for ages?

"Whatever Fong wants, I'm not interested," she says, turning back to Irma. "Tell him to shove it up his…"

"But he made me promise to tell you," Irma insists. "Actually, it was more like threatening to kill me unless I got you to listen." She shrugs, as if people threaten to take her life all the time. For all Angel knows, maybe they do.

"Fine," she grumbles. "Spit it out."

"He says you got to stay away or some guy name Shredder will kill you in a slow, gory and painful way for getting mixed up with some kind of turtles." She frowns, and Angel's heart misses a beat. This girl knows about the turtles? "Honestly, what is up with people picking weird names? I mean seriously, the turtles? _Shredder?_ What does he think he is, an office supply?"

Angel slowly relaxes again. "More like a kitchen utensil," she replies, glancing at Irma. "Fong really asked you to warn me?"

"Yeah, he said something about owing you his life." She casts a glance up the hall before sending Angel a playful smile. "Hey, that guy wasn't your boyfriend or anything, right?"

Angel nearly chokes on her own tongue. "Ryan's my _brother_!"

"I'm just saying, he's cute."

"He's thirteen!"

"Oh well, too bad." She giggles. "I might be back in a few years, though."

"Okay, that's it." Angel shoves the door open and pushes Irma through it. "You've got to go before you give me an aneurysm."

"Hey!" Irma stumbles out the hall and turns around just in time to get the door in her face. "You know, you're really rude!" she calls from the other side.

"People keep telling me that, but I can't seem to figure out why!" Angel calls back. Irma grumbles something more before Angel hears the sound of her steps departing. She leans against the door with a sigh of relief.

A relief that is quickly shattered by her phone exploding in her pocket. She swears and pulls it out, punches at the screen without checking who's calling and puts it to her ear.

"_What?_"

"Jeez Angel, calm down before you make yourself pop a vessel."

Her breath catches in her throat. "_Raph?_"

"The one and only. Listen kid, I've got some good news."

* * *

**Leo's POV**

Leo is awakened by the sound of someone crying.

It isn't the first time he's heard someone cry in the dead of night, but last time was still at least six months ago. Mikey'd had a bad dream and woke the entire lair up with his shouts and cries.

These sobs are different from that time. They are too muffled and low to be coming from any of the adjacent rooms; actually they are so stifled it's a miracle he even heard them at all. Whoever it is doesn't want to be discovered. He carefully slips out of his bed and walks on his tiptoes down the corridor leading to the living room. Light snores erupt from behind the paper doors leading to his brother's rooms, and he can swear he hears Donatello mumbling about binary code in his sleep.

Part of him is surprised at finding Mona awake and crying. When he helped Donnie treating her earlier that day she acted as if she had blocked out the entire world. Her eyes were glazed over and she didn't speak even once, no matter how much they coaxed her. He expected her to cry, to tell them what had happened to her in that lab. She had a nasty bump on the head from the car crash and some tiny pricks from needles along her arms, but other than that she seemed just fine physically. It was obvious though that something had happened, something she wouldn't speak of.

After seeing her acting as if someone had hit the off-switch in her head, Leo really wasn't expecting to find her like this. She seems so… broken.

"Mona?" he asks carefully. Her shoulders immediately stop quivering and the quiet sobs vanish with a strangled sound. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She has her back to him, but he can see how she rubs frantically at her eyes. "A bad dream, that's all."

_ At least she's talking again_. Leo wavers a moment before he crosses the living room floor and slides down next to her on the couch. She pulls her knees close to her chest and scoots away from him slightly, her eyes locked on the turned-off TV. It's obvious she won't voluntarily talk to him about what troubles her.

Leo isn't very used to talking to crying girls. Should he try and coax the truth out of her, or just put an arm around her in silent comfort? Maybe he should leave her alone.

"You know," he says, weighing every word carefully. "No matter what happened, we're here for you; we'll always be here for you." He smiles at her even though she isn't looking at him. "We'll always be here for you."

For some reason what was meant to be consoling turns out to have the precise opposite effect. Mona hides her face behind her hands and starts sobbing quietly before she tries to stumble to her feet, preparing to flee the scene.

"Wait!" Leo quickly grabs her wrist to hold her in place and she ferociously tries to tear it away from him.

"Let me go! I can't… I need to…" She deflates suddenly and falls back onto the couch, shoulders shivering violently as she cries. Leo lets go of her wrist and instead puts his arm around her. She weakly tries to shrug it off. "Go away," she sobs.

"No. You're part of this family now, Mona, whether you like it or not. I want to help you." She curls into a tight ball, her legs pressed to her chest and face hidden behind her knees, and tries to turn away from him, but he keeps her close.

"I don't want your help," she snivels, her voice surprisingly harsh. "And I'm not a part of this family. I never will be."

Ouch. He thought she liked them, and now she says she doesn't want to be part of their family? Leo tries not to take it personally, considering that she's probably home sick and still has her problems with being a mutant, but it hurts. He's just about to remove his arm and fulfil her wish to be left alone when she speaks again, so quietly he can barely hear it.

"I don't deserve to be part of this family."

His heart freezes. How could she possibly have gotten an idea like that?

"That's not true," he assures, but that just makes he cry heavier. "You risked your life to save Donnie and Casey. That if anything makes you part of this family!"

"But I nearly betrayed you!"

First he thinks he must have misheard her. He might not have known her for long, but he knows she isn't a traitor. "That can't be true," he says weakly.

"But it is!" She looks up from her knees and finally meets his gaze, and he's shocked at the desperation in her eyes. "Bishop tried to force me to tell him how to find you guys, and I nearly…" She sucks in a shivering breath. "I don't know for how long I would've been able to refuse."

Leo's breath catches in his throat. _He tried to force me…_ "Mona, what did he do to you?" He winces at the sound of his own voice, hearing how upset he sounds, but he can't help it.

"It doesn't matter." She looks away again. "The point is that I nearly broke your trust." Her voice breaks a little, as if she's about to start crying again. What could Bishop have done to her that would leave virtually no trace and still make her prepared to tell him everything? It makes no sense.

But there were those to strange marks on her temples…

They are hidden behind a bandage now. April said they came from some kind of electrodes, but none of them ever managed to figure out what said electrodes were for and Mona wouldn't tell. Now he carefully touches the spot closest to him and she cringes under his hand.

"What did he do?" Leo asks, this time careful to keep his voice soft. She still won't look at him and curls tighter into her ball.

"Electrical surges."

He feels heavy. He's seen Donnie being shocked several times (for some reason it's always Donnie) and it's never pretty. Being strapped to a table, having to endure it time and time again with only one way to make it stop… He can't even imagine what it must have been like. "I'm so sorry," he whispers.

"Don't be." She rubs the stubborn tears from her eyes. "I was the one who nearly betrayed you, not the opposite, remember?" A harsh laugh escapes her and ends in a sob.

"But you didn't. You held out long enough and protected us at the price of yourself. That was brave, Mona." She looks up at him, suspicion in her eyes, and he gives her the most sincere and encouraging smile he can manage. Her face breaks down at that, and suddenly she's crying again, but this time she crawls closer to him and presses her face to his shoulder. Soft hair and hot tears tickle his skin.

"I'm s-so s-sorry," she hiccups, shivering with every word. "S-sorry…"

"Stop apologising." After the shock has worn off he quickly puts his arms around her. "You did nothing wrong."

They sit like that for a while; Mona curled up against his plastron and Leo hugging her tightly. The sobs slowly falter and the tears dry on his skin, but she still doesn't move. Soon her breath grows softer and her tensed muscles relax. Leo glances down at her and sees that her eyes are still red and puffy, but closed. She must have fallen asleep.

"Rough night?"

He flinches and looks up to find Raph standing above them, looking down with a perplexed expression.

"Yeah." Leo carefully tucks a strand of Mona's hair out of her face. "She's calmed down now, though. It seems she had a harder time than we thought with Bishop." Leo feels a twitch in his jaw and takes a deep breath to calm down.

"Really?" Raph sits down on the couch, careful not to wake Mona up. "I thought it was like a vacation. You know, relaxing." He sends Leo a glare. "Of course it was hard on her, bro, what did you _expect_?"

"I'm serious," Leo persists. "She was practically having a meltdown when I walked in here." This seems to take Raph off guard.

"A meltdown? But she always seems so… calm. Apart from when her shoulder was all out of place, but who wouldn't freak out if that happened."

"It was dislocated."

"Whatever", Raph huffs. "The point is, I can't really imagine her crying."

Mona suddenly stirs slightly in Leo's arms and they both fall silent when she opens her eyes just a slit. She shifts a little and Leo eases his grip on her until she can turn around and stare at Raph with eyes that are heavy of sleep.

"Raphael?" she mumbles. "When did you get here?"

"I'm not really here," Raph mutters, and Leo has to stifle a snicker. "You're just dreaming."

"Oh," Mona replies, not sounding at all disappointed. "That's nice."

And then she proceeds to disentangle herself from Leo and curl up against Raph's plastron, her head resting just under his chin. The look on the red masked turtle's face is indescribable.

"Gotten yourself into a mess?" Leo teases.

"Shut up," Raph growls. He's holding his arms straight out in the air, as if he can't decide whether to push Mona away or put his arms around her.

"Try not to wake her up," Leo says, still smiling. "She needs her sleep."

Raph grumbles something but brings his arms down, one resting on the back of the couch and the other hanging down his side. He looks almost as if he's expecting Mona to suddenly jump up and bite him, glancing at her every now and then. She's looking peaceful, though, already fast asleep. Her tail is curled up around her legs and her arms are tucked against Raph's plastron, all in all making her appear very young and vulnerable. Leo gently tugs a blanket over her shoulders, knowing how chilly it can be at night if you're coldblooded. To his surprise Raph takes it from him and carefully tucks the fabric around her.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Raph suddenly asks, making Leo frown.

"About what?" he replies.

"Her." He nods at Mona, still looking a bit apprehensive. "You said she was having a meltdown."

"I don't really know," Leo sighs. "Bishop was trying to make her betray us, and even though she never did she still feels as if she let us down. She's worried she's not worthy of being part of our family."

Raph's face has grown dangerously dark, and Leo notices how one of his arms are now resting protectively around Mona's shoulder instead of lying slung over the back of the couch. "If I ever get hold of that guy…"

"You'll end up like Donnie," Leo cuts him off. "Let's just focus at the problem at hand, shall we?" Raph grumbles something, but doesn't argue. "The thing is she's still wary of us, she still was even before this whole disaster with Bishop. We need to find a way to make her understand that we still care about her, and that she can trust us not to abandon her."

Raph pensively furrows his brows, one hand gently stroking Mona's hair. Leo can't help but to stare. It seems Raph isn't even aware of what he's doing.

"I think I have an idea," Raph says slowly. "Remember that time Mikey changed your mask into a pink one?" Leo's face grows hot.

"I had been up all night watching Space Heroes," he quickly defends himself. "I have never slept so heavy before and I never will again."

"That's not the point," Raph says, but he's still smirking a little. "I think I just found a new use for it."

* * *

** Mona's POV**

"Oh my god, this is the cutest thing I have ever seen! April, you've got to come look at this!"

Mona is awakened by a sound that is very reminiscent of a camera snapping a picture. She stirs a little, annoyed by the sound but too warm and comfortable to fully wake up. Something moves under her, slowly up and down, making it feel as if she's lying on a gently rocking hammock.

Or someone's chest.

Her eyes snap open, and the first thing she sees is the pattern of a turtle's plastron. Being awake, she can suddenly feel the soft pressure of an arm around her shoulders and a head resting on top of hers, rustling her hair slightly with every breath. The realization dawns on her: she's been sleeping in the arms of one of the turtles.

How did this happen? Mona isn't a very touchy-feely person and prefers to keep a bit of a distance. How in the world would she end up crawling into somebody's lap like this? And who _is _it, anyway? The most likely candidate is Leo, considering he's the last one she remembers talking to before falling asleep. But she also remembers crying against his plastron (why did she _do_ that? She's not supposed to cry in front of people, much less _on_ them! How embarrassing) and it felt completely different. This plastron feels scratchier somehow, as if it's sporting an ensemble of battle scars.

The clicking sound is heard again, followed by a flash, and this time she knows it's a camera. She twists her head a little; careful not to wake the turtle up, and sees Mikey standing a few feet away from the couch with, yes, a camera in his hands.

"That is so going into my scrapbook," he says, grinning wildly, before noticing Mona's now open eyes. "Oh, morning Mona. Do you want pancakes?"

She stares at him, and the only thing that manages to claw its way out of her mouth is a raspy "You have a scrapbook?"

"Of course I have," Mikey says, sounding as if a mutant turtle living in the sewers and keeping a scrapbook is the most natural thing in the world. "How else would I keep track of all my memories?"

She does not have an answer to that.

"What is it, Mikey? I'm kind of busy-" April stalks into the room and comes to a screeching halt when she notices Mona and the turtle on the couch. "That. Is. _Adorable_." A grin spreads over her lips and Mona feels her face grow warm. She's feeling kind of uncomfortable being the only one not knowing who she's crawled up against.

"Er… good morning," she says weakly. April and Mikey only grins in response.

_If she could just..._ Mona carefully tries to scoot away from the turtle without waking him, but the second she moves his arm stiffens around her.

"Morning sleepyhead," Mikey teases.

The mystery turtle is off her in a flash. She wobbles a little when her support suddenly vanishes, but manages to avoid falling face-first over the cushions. It is with great apprehensiveness she looks up to find out who's been keeping her nightmares at bay during the night.

_ No way._

_Raphael?_

She can feel her jaw falling open and eyes grow wide, but she can't help it. He glowers at her and dusts himself off, trying to look casual.

"Keep doing that and you're going to attract flies," he warns, but without his usual smirk. She snaps her mouth shut, but can't stop herself from staring at him. _What are you doing? Stop it! You must be looking like a total creeper!_ She blinks and looks away.

"Oh, before I forget, Leo wants to talk with you in the dojo." Mikey smiles at her, attracting Raph's attention.

"What were you doing with that camera?" he asks threateningly.

"Nothing." Mikey quickly hide it behind his back.

_Leo wants to talk with me?_ Mona's face twitches. _What if he's changed his mind about what she told him last night? What if they're going to throw her back on the street?_ She gulps and turns away from the others.

"Sure. I'll just… I'll just go there, then."

"Hey, are you okay?" April asks behind her, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fi-" She gulps and freezes when a huge hand comes to rest on her shoulder.

"You know you can talk with us, right? If anything troubles you?" Raph says, standing very close to her.

"Of course I do." She forces out a smile and ducks under his hand. "Thanks." The last word almost gets stuck in her throat, but she fights it and manages to keep her tears at bay. "I'll just go see and Leo want, okay? I'll be right back." _Hopefully._

"I think you're going to like it," Mikey cheers. "He's got a surprise for you!"

"Shut up!" Raph growls, followed by a yelp and a slapping sound.

Mona leaves the room with a sad smile on her lips. She's going to miss them.

* * *

When she enters the dojo she first thinks it's empty. Light floats down from the grate in the ceiling, illuminating the tree and giving the carpets on the floor a dark glow. The soft sound of people walking by on the sidewalk above is all she can hear. No breathing, no nearby footsteps. Maybe Mikey was just playing a trick on her?

"Hi Mona."

She yelps and twirls, finding Leo standing next to the entrance with a sheepish smile on his face. "Sorry if I scared you."

"It's okay. I'm a bit jumpy, that's all." She smiles back, trying to shove back her fear. He wouldn't have that kind expression if he was going to throw her out, would he? Or maybe he's just feeling sorry for her. "Mikey said you wanted to talk with me," she says nervously.

"Yes. It's about last night."

_I knew it_. Her shoulders slump down.

"I wanted to give you this, as an official invite to our family." Her head snaps back up, her eyes growing as wide as saucers when she sees what he's holding in his hands.

It's a mask, just like the one he and the other three are always wearing, only this one's pink. Leo smiles at her shocked expression and starts walking towards her. She doesn't dare move as he carefully ties it over her face, the knot hidden under her hair. Then he steps back and gives her a kind smile. "There. Now no one will ever mistake you for being anything other than one of us."

Her hand is shivering when she reaches up and touches the mask, gently, as if afraid it will vanish under her fingers. The fabric feels soft but strange against her skin and the mask tails tickles her neck. It feels lovely. Tears spring to her eyes and she blinks them away.

"Leo, I don't know what to say… what about what I did? Do you really want me here?" Her voice quivers.

"You did nothing other than protect our secret, even if it put yourself through a horrible experience," he says seriously. "I can't imagine anyone more fit to be our sister."

Those words break down the last of Mona's defences. Tears roll down her cheeks, staining the fabric around her eyes. Leo opens up his arms without a word, and she falls into his embrace after only a moment's hesitation. He hugs her closely as she cries.

"Aw, can I join in? It could be your first official group hug, Mona!"

She backs away from Leo and wipes the tears away, staring at the door. Mikey is standing there with a wide grin on his face.

"That will have to wait. We have matters to attend to."

She blinks again as Donnie pushes Mikey aside to fit through the door. An array of objects lies cluttered in his arms, most of them brown and leathery-looking.

The last ones to enter the room is Raph and April, walking side-by-side. April's face it lit up by a bright smile and Mona can see a small grin on Raph's lips too, even though he's trying to hide it. She glances at Leo who is trying to cover up his gleeful smile behind a leader-like pose.

"Raph mentioned your training session together, and it gave me and idea. I spoke to Sensei, and he agrees that it would be good for you." _What would be good for me?_ Mona stares at him, unable to keep her curiosity hidden. She jumps when Donnie suddenly dumps all the things he was carrying at her feet. Elbow and kneepads, a belt and tape spreads out before her.

"Mona Lisa," Donnie says solemnly, "would you like to become a kunoichi?"

Her mouth falls open for the second time that morning. Are they serious? Do they really want her as part of their ninja team?

"You don't have to unless you want to," Leo hurriedly cuts in. "And your training would have to wait at least a week to make sure your head has healed properly, but then you should be good to go." He gives her a nervous smile and nothing in the world can keep her from answering it.

"I'd love to," she breathes.

"It's going to be tough, you know," April warns with a badly hidden grin. "You're going to wake up in the morning with your entire body aching."

"But it's worth it," Mikey adds, "'cause after a while you'll be able to do _this_." He takes a few running steps before leaping into the air, doing a double back flip. Mona automatically claps her hands approvingly while Raph simply reaches out and smacks his little brother in the head.

"Thank you guys," she whispers. "This… this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Hey, no need to thank us," Raph says, still trying to look casual. "You're family now, remember?"

She can't help it; she envelopes him in a tight hug.

His breath catches in his throat and his arms twitch, but he doesn't fight her. After a moment of silence a pair of arms wraps around her, and then another one, and another one.

"Told you this would be your first official group hug," Mikey giggles in her ear.

She laughs and revels in the feeling of them being near her, the feeling of friends and family and people who actually cares. The feeling of Raph's breath against her cheek.

* * *

** Donnie's POV**

"What are you doing, Donnie?"

"Working."

"What are you working on?"

"Things."

"What things?"

Donnie sighs and rests his head in his hands. "I'm trying to hack into the system of Bishop's surveillance cameras so I can track the source and enter a virus into their system that will…"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Mikey waves his hands in front of his face. "There's no need to explain every single detail of the process!"

"There wasn't a single detail in that description!" Donnie exclaims.

"Hi boys!"

A red-haired figure peeks in through the door and Donnie's heart immediately starts thumping quicker.

"H-h-hi April," he gulps. She smiles widely at him, but there is still a hint of worry in her blue eyes. It's the same look she wore last night, when she first noticed his injuries but was too happy about their reunion to stop smiling.

Another head peeks in behind April, this one green. Mona carefully follows the redhead into the lab and stops to inquisitively look at the camera parts scattered across Donnie's desk. It's strange to see her dressed in her new gear, and it seems she's not quite used to it either. She continuously brush her fingers over her mask, then her belt and the tape on her hands and occasionally her elbow pads, almost as if she's expecting them to disappear unless she pays them a proper amount of attention. Her eyes are glued to Donnie's work, though, so he guesses that she isn't even aware she's doing it.

"Those are unlike any cameras I've ever seen before," she says, sounding astonished. "It must be some kind of prototype. Have you figured out how to calibrate them?" She leans forward to survey the different diagrams and programs on his computer. The usual shy look she's always wearing is exchanged with one of focused determination when her eyes lock on the codes on screen.

"I'm closing in on it," Donnie says. "I just need to figure out how to get passed the firewall, without Bishop catching onto what I'm doing. If I don't cover my tracks properly he might be able to follow the virus back here."

"Can you make a virtual trapdoor? I worked on those some time ago; they'll allow you to sneak into his system, but his hardware will fry every time he tries to follow you." Mona's brows are furrowed as she leans closer the screen and start picking at the wires connecting the camera to the computer. She unconsciously winds her mask tails around her fingers, then unwinds them, and winds them up again.

"That could work," Donnie ponders. "Of course I'd have to decrypt his entire system first so he can't…"

"Doooonieee," Mikey whines. "Too many words!"

Donnie flinches and nearly shoves his laptop off the desk when Mikey throws his arms over his older brother's shoulders.

"Do you want to play ZombieSlasher?" He pokes Donnie's cheek with a finger and ignores his brother's attempts to throw him off.

"Mikey, I'm busy! Ask Leo or Raph to play with you."

"They went out to find Kala," Mikey scoffs. "And they wouldn't let me come 'cause they think I can't walk."

"You _can't_ walk, Mikey," Donnie grumbles. "Your feet were impaled by shattered gla- Wait, did you say they went to find Kala?"

"Yeah, I told Leo I'd crawl all the way there myself unless someone went to make sure she's okay." Mikey shrugs, looking as if he crawls across New York City all the time.

"Are you insane?" April exclaims. "She could be a spy! And I bet she's far away by now."

"But she helped us! We can't just leave her on her own when Bishop's after her!"

"Mikey, _please,_ I'm trying to work here." Donnie rubs a hand over his face. Mikey's been talking nonstop about yesterday's rescue mission all day, and most of it's been about this strange new girl. By now Donnie feels as if he's known the girl all his life, having heard so much about her. "It was really stupid of Raph and Leo to head out on their own without telling the rest of us, but we can't do anything about it now. Could you just _please_ be quiet before I accidentally blow something up?"

"But I want to plat ZombieSlasher!" Mikey whines.

In the corner of his eye Donnie notices April and Mona glancing at each other, the redhead having a pleading look on her face. Mona snorts, and then winks. She actually _winks_. Donnie never thought of her as the winking type.

"I bet I could beat your high score in no time," she says teasingly to Mikey and edges toward the door. Mikey's eyes widen, looking mortally insulted.

"Oh _the game is on!_" He grins and tries to leap after her, but his feet immediately give in under him and he falls to the floor with a yelp and a loud smack. Mona rolls her eyes, but a small smile rests on her lips.

"Come on, clumsy, I'll help you."

She places Mikey's arm over her shoulders and the two leave the room, Mikey talking happily all the while. Donnie glances at April.

"Did you two plan that?"

She smirks at him. "Maybe."

He flinches and then freezes on the spot when she leans past him to take a look at the laptop, her left arm brushing his bicep. He gulps; she smells like strawberries.

"Now, I'm no genius like Mona, so would you mind telling me what you're doing here?" She looks up at him with a smile.

"Oh, it's really not that complicated." He throws himself into an explanation on how Bishop's men must have a direct link to their surveillance to be able to keep watch, and that he first planned to use this connection to track down their hideout and free the girls. Now, however, he's gotten the idea that maybe he can hack into Bishop's network via the cameras.

"I might be able to enter a virus that will shut down certain part of their security. That way we'll be able to move through the sewers and alleys without having to constantly look over our shoulder," he finishes, nervously glancing at April to see if she likes the plan.

"Wow," she breathes. "You were really going through all that trouble to save us? When you were barely even conscious?"

"I had been conscious for at least thirty minutes when I first thought of it," Donnie corrects her, relieved that she didn't frown upon his plan. "And of course I was. You are family, April. I…"

He stops himself before the words slip over his lips. _I love you_.

April looks away, a pained expression on her face. "Thank you, Donnie," she whispers. "I'm really happy to have friends like you and your brothers."

"April…" He hesitates. _I want us to be more than friends._ "I couldn't be happier about being your friend."

She looks up again, showing him the same earnest smile she gave him months ago on her window ledge, when he first told her that they'd to anything to get her father back. Just like that time it still makes his face flush and his heart flutter, but this time he doesn't back away. Suddenly they are very, very close.

He can feel her warm breath on his face, her bangs tickling his forehead. Her eyes are half-closed and her lips slightly parted. She is so very beautiful.

Then her warmth is suddenly gone and Donnie blinks dumbly, searching for her. His hands nearly reach out to fumble for her, but he manages to stop himself.

She's backed away toward the door, a forced smile plastered on her lips and her cheeks flushed red. The pained look is back in her eyes.

"I… I'll just…" She clears her throat. "I'll go free Mona from Mikey and send her back in here. It seemed she could give you a hand with your camera work." She gestures weakly at his desk and backs closer to the door.

Donnie's shoulders slumps as he watches her, but he too forces out a smile. "Sure. I'd- that'd be good." His voice breaks a little on the last word.

April keeps smiling and turns around, walking to the door with quick steps. The second she lays her hand on the handle she stops, hesitating. Donnie watches her, feeling heavier than after two hours of extra practice.

"Donnie." She spins around, looking at him with an almost desperate expression on her face. "I'm really, _really_ happy I met you, and not only because you saved my life."

He blinks several times, trying to process her words, but she's out the door before he has the chance to reply. His heart is thumping faster again and his lips feel warm. _She's happy she met me_.

And even though so many horrible things have happened lately, he still catches himself smiling.

* * *

** Kala's POV**

Kala is more scared than she has been since she got away from the Kraang labs fifteen years ago. At least back then she had her brothers, and the other runaway Neutrinos. This time she's alone, her only way home is guarded by dozens of Kraang-droids and Bishop wants to kill her. It pains her to admit that the closest thing she has to an ally in this world is a mutant.

_A mutant._

But it's not like that matters; she doubts Mikey will be coming back.

And still she's coped up in the same abandoned house they dropped her off by the previous day. She tried telling herself it was because she had nowhere to go and this place was as good as any, but really, she knows.

She's hoping he'll come back.

Her body is stiff and aching after spending the night in this old building. She found some tattered mattresses in one of the rooms, but they had some really suspicious stains and she didn't want to risk lying on them. Maybe some weird, leftover chemical would poison her in her sleep.

So instead she dug out some blankets and crawled into a corner, hidden behind an ancient, mouldy desk to get some cover. She's definitely slept in more inconvenient places before, and still woken up feeling a lot more refreshed than now. But those times she was still back in Dimension X, and even though hitting the streets there would be dangerous she at least knew how to manoeuvre them. Take a left here and there's a fifty percent chance you run into a squad of Kraang. Go into that alley and you will step right into the nest of a very unpleasant mutant. Here everything's just a big, loud mess. She could walk into the world's most obvious trap and she wouldn't even notice before she was dead.

Something raps the window behind her.

Kala stops pacing the floor and dust settles around her, as if relieved to be left in peace once again. There is only one window in this room; grimy and cracked and only letting in a little bit of light from the sun outside. She cautiously steps closer, leaving a wake of rustled dust behind her. Her hands automatically grab for the Kraang gun at her belt, before she remembers that it is no longer there. She left it on a desk in the neighbouring room, hopping that she might be able to perform a miracle and fix it.

Now she swears over herself. The shooting mechanism might not work, but at least she could still use it as a club.

She can't see anything on the other side of the glass. Nothing that matters, at least. She's five stories up and can see nothing but the wall of the nearest building through the grime and cracks. If she squints she can just make out some trash cans in the alley below, but that's about it.

The window frame squeaks and complains when she grabs it and tries to push it open. It only slides up about an inch before it gets stuck, dust and cobwebs raining down on her and making her sneeze. She grumbles a few colourful words the older Neutrinos taught her when she was a kid and presses harder. _It's probably nothing_, she thinks, _probably just my imagination making things up._

_ But just in case…_

A green, three-fingered hand suddenly appears next to hers on the frame, giving a push powerful enough to send it up several inches. She sighs, and for a moment she nearly breaks out in a fit of hysterical laughter. Who would've thought Kala the Neutrino would ever be relieved to find a mutant outside her window?

"Mikey," she smiles, stepping aside to let him in. "I didn't think you'd…"

The words stuck in her throat when the mutant ducks under the window and climbs into the room, a blue mask tied around its face. _That is not Mikey._

She shrieks and scrambles backwards so fast she trips over her own feet and falls on the rear. The turtle stares at her as she tries to get back on her feet. Splinters dig into the palms of her hands and her feet slip over the uneven wooden floor, but she manages to fling herself back up. She sets aim for the door as fast as she can, but can't hear any signs of him following her. Against better judgement she cranes her neck to sneak a peek of him over at the window, when she suddenly runs straight into the wall.

Her head spins and she stumbles back, nearly falling again. The only thing that keeps her on her feet is the sudden sensation if someone gripping tightly around her wrists to steady her. Someone with only three fingers…

She looks up and screams again. Somehow he's gotten in front of her and is now blocking the only way out of the room. She starts twisting her arms violently to get free and sends a clumsy kick for his shin, letting out a yelp when he lets her go. The sudden loss of support causes her to once again fall back on the hard floor. She's so going to have a bruise tomorrow.

_If she's still alive tomorrow, that is._

She gulps and scoots back until she is pressed against the faraway wall, which she uses to get back on her feet, never taking her eyes off of the turtle.

He's still standing at the door, observing her with a perplexed look on his green face. "Please," he says, raising his hands soothingly in front of him. "Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you."

_Yeah right_. She glares at him. "Don't you think I can see those swords on your back?" she snarls. "I bet you don't use them to slice fruit." He glances at the hilts of his swords, and she takes the moment to quickly survey the room. There is a dust-covered desk and crooked chair standing in the corner next to the window, and she tries to measure how many steps she'd have to take to get their. The desk might not be of much use, but she could definitely utilize the chair as a weapon.

"They are katana, actually," the turtle says, forcing her attention back to him. "And they are for self-defence only. I promise I'd never use them to harm anyone innocent."

He sounds earnest enough, but she doesn't trust him. "Who are you?" she asks suspiciously, subtly drawing closer to the chair.

"I'm Leonardo, but you can call me Leo. I'm Mikey's brother."

She comes to a screeching halt. Mikey's brother?

Of course. How could she not see that? Not only did April mention that she had _several_ mutant friends, but he's also a turtle, just like Mikey, and wearing a similar mask around his face as the smaller turtle did.

"You're… his brother?" she says weakly. He smiles at her, and in that smile she can see hints of Mikey.

"I wanted to thank you for helping him out with April and Mona. He says he couldn't have done it without you."

"Oh yes, that." She eyes Leo up and down, trying to judge whether she can trust him or not. "Glad to be of service. 'Cause I didn't, you know, end up thrown on the street and hunted by a madman because of it." She glares at him, and he at least has the decency to look guilty.

"Don't you have anywhere to go? Someone who can help you?"

"Did April share what I told her?" Kala crosses her arms over her chest, not really knowing why she's cowering. All she knows is that she wants to go home.

"She told us about the Neutrino thing, yes." Leo takes a step closer to her, but she immediately backs away.

"Well, I didn't really tell her all the specifics about being a Neutrino," Kala mumbles. "All of us, with _very_ few exceptions, live in Dimension X. And I just blew my one connection with the one living here on earth. Great, huh? Now that there's nothing left for me here, I can just waltz into TCRI, fight my way through a hundred or so Kraang, power up the portal and go back home, at which point I'll step right into _another _Kraang facility where _they're all expecting me!_"

She screams the last part, feeling hot tears rise up in her eyes. Suddenly she wants to grab the chair again and smash it against the wall, kick the splinters through the room and scream at the world. Anything to cover up the fact that all she wants to do is go back home.

"Sounds like a plan, right?" she cries. "I'll just do that!"

Leo is staring at her, wide-eyed and shocked, and she can't take it; it's as if his eyes are burning straight through her skin. She quickly turns her back to him and rubs her eyes, letting the tears stain her hands.

"Listen, Kala," Leo says carefully. "I want to hel-"

Shattered glass suddenly rains through the room, showering over Kala and stinging her skin. A green bundle comes hurtling through the now broken window, lands between Kala and Leo and rolls to its feet, sharp and shining weapons already in hand. This time she doesn't let any time pass; she immediately lunges for the chair and holds it up between them.

"Wait, calm down!" Leo shrieks. "It's just my brother!"

"_Your brother?_" Kala shouts, the heavy chair shivering in her hands. "There are _more_ of you? _Why do you keep multiplying?_"

Because it sure is another turtle; this on is shorter and stockier than Leo and wears a red mask around its face, its emerald eyes traced on her every move. Unlike the blue turtle it doesn't radiate calm and tranquillity; actually it looks like it wants to pummel her to the ground if she gives the slightest sign of provocation. She glares at it, raises her make-shift weapon a little higher and tries to hide her fear.

"Raph," Leo scolds. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to keep guard!"

"I heard screaming," the newcomer counters, its eyes still locked on Kala, who scowls right back. "Thought you might need some help."

The two ensues in a shallow squabble about following orders and following your gut, and Kala can only stare at them as they seem to almost forget about her presence. The chair is starting to feel very heavy in her hands.

"Hey!" she barks. "I'm still here, you know."

The red turtle, Raph, glances back at her. "I'd drop that if I were you," he suggests, nodding at her chair. "You don't want to anger me."

"You're _always_ angry," Leo grumbles. "Put away your sai, Raph. You're scaring her."

"And what if she attacks?"

"With what? That chair? Yeah, I'm in no doubt you wouldn't stand a chance if that happened." Raph glowers at his brother sheats his weapons, although very unenthusiastically.

"Fine, Fearless," he grumbles. "But if we screw this up, it's on you."

"Screw what up?" Kala asks suspiciously. By now her arms are feeling like lead, but she refuses to let go of her one advantage.

Leo glances at her and gives a careful smile. "As I was saying before this idiot burst through the window; we want to help you."

"You want to help me?" Kala echoes.

"Apparently we do," Raph scoffs.

Kala shakes her head weakly. "I appreciate the offer, but there's nothing you can do for me."

"You just told me you have nowhere to go and no one to help you," Leo says. "Maybe you could stay with us?"

Raph's head snaps to his brother's, looking nearly as shocked as Kala feels. "Bro, are you insane?" he exclaims. "Didn't you listen to anything April said? This could all be a trap!"

Leo doesn't give much of a reaction to the red turtle's outburst. He simply regards Kala with calm, blue eyes for so long that she starts feeling uncomfortable.

"I don't think she's planning anything," he says slowly. "If she wanted to trick us she wouldn't have tried to get away from me when I first got here."

Kala's heart is beating rapidly. Could she really consider going with them, _living_ with them? Sure, last night she had begged Mikey to let her come, but last night she'd also been desperate.

"I don't even know if I can trust you," she says darkly. Raph raises an eye ridge at her, and before she has the chance to react he's standing in front of her, his plastron pressed against the chair's legs.

"I'd say the question is if _we_ can trust _you_," he sneers. Kala quickly hides her discomfort of him being so close behind a fierce scowl.

"Back off," she hisses, shoving at him with as much power as she can muster. He stumbles back, looking mildly surprised, and then his face grows dark and growls. That low, guttural sound is more than enough to remind her that she isn't dealing with humans.

"_Raph,_" Leo reprimands. "Stop that or I'll tell Splinter." Raph glowers at his brother.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh yes I would."

The two stare silently at each other, until Raph slowly glances at Kala and takes a step back, his eyes still clearly telling her to watch it. _This_ is what she let April go back to? That thing is freaking feral!

"I promise on my honour as a ninja that as long as we can trust you, you can trust us," Leo says earnestly, sending the other turtle a warning glare. "Right, Raph?"

"Whatever you say," he grumbles, arms crossed sulkily over his plastron.

Kala regards them for a moment, weighing her options. She could stay here and try to make it as a normal human, but then of course Bishop would be on to her the second she showed her face. Or she could try and perform a miracle and get back to Dimension X without getting blasted to tiny bits.

But she knows neither of those options are possible, not only because she's very attached to staying alive but also because of April. After busting the younger girl out of her cell, Kala feels as if it's her responsibility to keep her safe. Those turtles might be enough to protect her from the Kraang, but who will protect her from the turtles?

Kala closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, steeling herself for her decision. "Alright," she spits, finally allowing her screaming arms to lower the chair. "I'll come with you, but only because I've got nowhere else to go." _And for April_, she reminds herself. _Never forget that the fate of the world rests on that girl's shoulders; she overshadows everything. _

_And for Mikey_.

She's surprised at hearing the small, stubborn voice in her head, but even more amazed at finding herself agreeing with it. She really does want to see Mikey again, make sure he's safe. And no matter how much she tries to suppress it, she knows why she wants to see him.

At least there's one person she can trust in this world.

* * *

**AN: So yeah, I know Shadow is actually Casey's daughter in the original comic, but I really, ****_really_**** wanted to include her and I felt Casey was a little young to have a kid already, so I made her his sister instead. **

**Please, read and review and I will be happy! Feel free to leave small requests, like if there's any particular interaction you'd like to see. I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible, and it'll probably take place after the finale to bring this fic a little up to date (I want to keep it canon with season 1, but from there it will go AU)**


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